Written by Zeta Tzioti
The Vassilis & Elise Goulandris Foundation, in collaboration with the Takis Foundation, opens the retrospective exhibition “Takis 1∞”, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the great Greek artist Panayiotis Vassilakis, internationally known as Takis (1925–2019). This exhibition will be open to the public from June 22 to November 2, 2025, and will take place simultaneously at two Foundation sites: in Athens and Andros, for the first time in the history of the Foundation.
“Takis 1∞” spans almost seven decades of his artistic journey and includes more than 150 works—sculptures, paintings, drawings, and jewelry. Alongside the works, film elements offer an in-depth retrospective of the artist’s life and creative process.
Takis’s Life and Work: An Endless Pursuit of the Unknown
Born in Athens in 1925, Takis’s artistic path was marked by adventure and experimentation. Having experienced the turbulent WWII era, the young Panayiotis Vassilakis moved to Paris, where he engaged with Surrealism and early anarchist artists. His central inspiration was always the exploration of matter and space, with a special focus on the power of magnetism, which he introduced into his art as a driving and formative element.
His first major recognition came with his Teleglyphs, sculptures using magnets to create dynamic movement and audience interaction. This pioneering method placed him at the global forefront of the art scene. In 1964, he created the masterpiece Magnetron, blending sculpture with mechanics and electronics, signaling the start of a series merging art, technology, and natural phenomena.
Takis’s relationship with magnetic fields became a hallmark of his artistic style and internationally recognized identity. Magnetism was not just a medium for expression but a subjective dimension of the world itself for him. His sense of weightlessness, invisibility, and pervasive energy shaped his work, flirting with metaphysical boundaries.
Committed to preserving his vision, the Takis Foundation continues its activities true to the founder’s mission, following his passing in August 2019.
Menia Kouli, Director of Communications and Public Relations at the Takis Foundation, spoke exclusively with us about the 100th anniversary of Takis’s birth:
— Ms. Kouli, how do you feel about this grand celebration by the Foundation you represent?
“In 2025, we honor and celebrate 100 years since the great artist Takis’s birth, presenting throughout the year a rich and original artistic program with events at the Takis Foundation, in collaboration with major domestic and international institutions and foundations.
The most significant event is the retrospective Takis – 100 Years by the Vassilis & Elise Goulandris Foundation at their Museums in Athens and Andros. It’s also worth mentioning the creation of a collectible coin dedicated to Takis by the Bank of Greece, the National Mint, and the Ministry of Finance, to be issued starting in October.
We also plan to create a city map with the placement of more Takis works in public spaces around Athens. Works and specially arranged audiovisual installations dedicated to Takis and his Foundation will be installed at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport from late June, at the Theocharakis Foundation, the SNFCC, and other sites in Athens across Greece.”
— What other events and parallel activities will take place?
“Alongside the permanent collection displayed at the Foundation’s venues, and aiming to further highlight Takis’s work and his dynamic presence in contemporary culture, the Takis Foundation has commissioned five esteemed Greek composers—each from different aesthetic backgrounds—to draw inspiration from, reinterpret, and compose new musical pieces based on selected works by Takis.
From mid‑September, visitors at the Takis Foundation can stand before the sculptor’s works while listening (via individual headphones) to music composed specifically for those visual pieces.
Finally, on Takis’s birthday—October 29— an event and reception will be held at the Foundation’s site, with free public entry.”
— You’ve described Takis as a mentor. In your role as Communications and PR Director, what impact did working closely with him have on you?
“Having collaborated closely with the artist himself, I feel especially moved by this major retrospective exhibition at the Goulandris Museums. It’s a great show that I’m sure Takis himself would have loved!”
Takis 1∞
“Takis 1∞,” Athens and Andros: A Journey into Artistic Innovation
This retrospective exhibition is hosted at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Andros and the Vassilis & Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum in Athens. In Andros, visitors can explore Takis’s work from his earliest creations to the later pieces, focusing on his youth experiments showing initial influences and creative upheavals. At the Athens΄ museum, the focus is on Magnetic Fields, the foundation of his work, featuring pieces such as Magnetron, Magnetic Walls, Electromagnetic Spheres, and Musical works.
Magnetic Fields and the Fourth Dimension
In Athens, the exhibition highlights Magnetic Spheres and works referring to the “fourth dimension,” such as To Adynaton – Man in Space. Takis’s spheres, integrated into dynamic, moving sculptures, invite viewers to contemplate the unknown and the invisible, engaging with nature’s unseen yet undeniable forces.
In Andros, the exhibition features works addressing everyday life and the symbolic role of technology. For example, Signals (1955)—symbols of the modern age—portray how technology has penetrated art and life in direct and expressive ways.
Multidimensional Communication and Digital Dimension
As part of the exhibition, the Foundation launches a new series of B & E Goulandris Podcasts. These five episodes explore various aspects of Takis’s life and work, offering a new dimension through rare audio documents, conversations, and untold stories from people who knew him personally.
The exhibition also provides educational programs and guided tours, while visitors can experience Takis’s work through interactive tours.
Takis’s Recognition on the World Stage
Takis’s works have been featured in major international exhibitions and collections, with pieces in institutions such as the Centre Pompidou (Paris), Hamburger Kunsthalle (Germany), and MoMA (New York). This exhibition, however, represents one of the most significant efforts to emphasize Takis’s deep Greek roots alongside his global artistic impact in the 20th century.
Takis, a true cosmopolitan and spiritual anarchist, channeled Greek artistic heritage into new paths and became a pioneer of contemporary art, with works that continue to shock and inspire.
Takis 1∞
Magnetron (detail), 1964. Iron, electric instrument, magnet, 45 × 90 cm. Collection of the Takis Foundation © Takis Foundation – Research Center for the Art and the Sciences / ADAGP, Paris / OSD EETT, Athens 2025
Photo credits © Christoforos Doulgeris
Exhibition Info
Dates: June 22 – November 2, 2025
Vassilis & Elise Goulandris Foundation
13 Eratosthenous Str., Athens 11635
Tel: +30 210 725 2895
visit@goulandris.gr | goulandris.gr
Hours: Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun 10:00–18:00; Fri 10:00–20:00; Tue closed.
Museum of Contemporary Art (Andros)
Chora, Andros 84500
Tel: +30 22820 22444
andros@goulandris.gr
Hours: Daily 11:00–15:00 & 18:00–21:00; Monday 11:00–15:00; Monday afternoon & Tuesday closed.
