Radar (detail) 1960
Aluminium, magnet, nylon thread
67.5 × 74 × 15cm
Takis Foundation
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: Fay Zervos

Takis installation view, Tate Modern, 2019. Photo: Tate Photography (Mark Heathcote)

Telepainting 1959
Acrylic paint on canvas, magnets, nylon thread, steel
28 × 61 × 35 cm
Collection of Liliane Lijn
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: © Tate (Andrew Dunkley and Mark Heathcote)

Magnetic Wall 9 (Red) 1961
Acrylic paint on canvas, magnets, copper wire, foam, paint, plastic,steel, synthetic cloth
180 × 220 × 10 cm
Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne–Centre de création industrielle, Paris
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: Georges Meguerditchian

Telepainting 1964
Ceramic, iron, lamps, magnet, nylon thread, plastic, rheostats, steel screwdriver, vinyl, wood
110.1 x 75.2 x 17 cm
Private Collection © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: © Tate (Andrew Dunkley and Mark Heathcote)

Télélumière No. 4 (detail) 1963–4
Iron machine parts, light bulbs, wood, brass, steel, electromagnet, string, and paint
108 × 30 × 32 cm, 30 x 60 cm approx.
Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council, Tate Members, Tate Patrons and with Art Fund support 2019
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: © Tate (Andrew Dunkley and Mark Heathcote)

Takis installation view, Tate Modern, 2019. Photo: Tate Photography (Mark Heathcote)

Signal (detail) 1964–5
Steel, lamp, paint
256 × 25.5 × 19.5 cm
Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council, Tate Members, Tate Patrons and with Art Fund support 2019
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: © Tate (Andrew Dunkley and Mark Heathcote)

Takis installation view, Tate Modern, 2019. Photo: Tate Photography (Mark Heathcote)

Magnetic Fields (detail) 1969
Metal, magnets, wire
63.5 × 426.7 × 91.4cm
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Partial gift, Robert Spitzer, by exchange, 1970
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Musical Sphere 1985
Aluminium, iron, metal string, metal wire, paint, polyester
160 × 100 × 114 cm
Takis Foundation
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019
Photo: Hlias Nak

Takis has created some of the most innovative art of the 20th century over his 70-year career. His work seeks out the essential poetry and beauty of the electromagnetic universe. Takis has created antennae-like sculptures he calls “Signals,” and musical devices using magnets, electricity, and viewer participation to generate resonant and random sounds. This exhibition brings together over 70 of the artist’s pieces, making this the largest exhibition of his work ever held in the UK. Takis was one of the most original artistic voices in Europe from the 1960s and remains a pioneering figure in contemporary art today.

Takis is on view through October 27 at Tate Modern Bankside, London SE1 9TG. photographs courtesy of Tate Modern