Takis: Sculptor of Magnetism, Light and Sound

Mesmeric exhibition at Tate Modern of work by Takis, the Greek artist who sadly died on 9 August this year while the show was running.

It took me a while to realise what was happening in this show.  At first I thought the magnetic works were faked to look as they would have done then I realised the thin wires were to stop the pieces linking together not to hold them up! Once I got that I loved it! I loved a red canvas that had cones and fret work floating above the surface and casting shadows on surface. I found myself walking round the works to see the gap between the objects.

The show also looked at Takis’s scientific work including ideas on renewable energy  and his work making art works from objects found in army surplus stores and discount electrical shops.

I loved the work which made a sound, particularly the nine panels shown in a curve where metal rods, manipulated by random magnetic fields to bounce against instrument strings. It was a lovely calming sound. Also in the last room there were large works from the open-air theatre space at the Takis Foundation, which opened in 1933 and includes his studio and archive as well as being a research centre. These works were activated at different intervals to combine the sounds. I loved the big gong and the large ball activating a string shown here. I felt it needed a video rather than a static picture.

Closes 27 October 2919

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