Stepping into the MADI museum downtown, the surroundings appear more like a magic show than an art gallery. Loud, bold artwork explodes from every hidden crevice (even the restrooms). Young kids and adults alike play with shapes and create unique art on tablets adjacent to fifty-year-old art. Critics pace back and forth before each frame, gasping with shock before moving on to the next piece. Walk too fast past a picture and it’ll disappear, replaced by an entirely different image. Who could be behind these incredible illusions?
In his eighty-seven years of life, artist Yaacov Agam has established himself as a master in kinetic art and the highest selling Israeli artist of all time. He uses abstract, dynamic art in a variety of mediums to engage viewer participation and allow the art to “move” as perspective changes. Onlookers can change pieces simply by passing by or looking at them from various angles, a unique trait that has led his works to be placed primarily on busy streets around the world in places like New York, Chicago, Paris, Taipei, and Strasbourg. The son of a rabbi, Yaacov Agam’s influences from Hebrew mysticism Kabbalah have led him to visually display his father’s spirituality internationally. Agam even pioneered his own type of print called Agamograph which uses the lenticular printing process to interlay radically different images on the same piece.
This exhibit entitled “The Magic of Yaacov Agam” debuted at the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art on Thursday the 28th to a crowded audience of fans. Although Agam himself could not make it due to a bacterial infection in his lungs, he scrupulously studied every detail of the exhibit to ensure everything was perfect. He spent eight hours on the phone with the preparators, even saving them from hanging a picture upside down! Ron Simchon, one Agam’s closest associates, admires the creator because “he was doing things fifty, sixty years ago that artists only just now have picked up on” and continues to lead the charge in kinetic art innovation. His age providing no barriers to artistic creation, Agam continually lives up to his reputation as the Father of Kinetic Art by transitioning his artwork into the digital era. With the help of technology guru Simchon, the duo developed a unique programming language that allows for tactile art to be displayed alongside Agam’s previous works. By moving around shapes and colors on these tablets, melodious songs soar and visual art pops off the walls into the bustling gallery. Yaacov Agam’s current work consistently sets art standards kinetic pieces, envisioning new ways to bring the modern world into the emotion whirlwind of art.
One of the many esteemed guests who attended the opening was Diane Pandolfi, Director of the Park West Foundation. Diane recently spent almost a week in Paris at Agam’s studio, calling the innovative creator “a fascinating man, extremely intelligent, a genius, unbelievably unique and talented, and most spiritual.” This was Pandolfi’s first exhibition as foundation director, and working with such a world-renowned artist made the experience even more memorable. The crowded opening for The Magic of Yaacov Agam yielded a turnout “highly motivated patrons who were intrigued by this amazing exhibition,” unafraid to look foolish and view art in all directions to truly understand the magic of his mind. Agam’s transformative vision has pushed audiences around the world “to shift one’s perspective and see how artworks change [to] enjoy the total experience of viewing an Agam painting.”
One of the leading authoriti
es on art in the Dallas area, Elizabeth Hunt-Blanc helped unpack and stage the exhibit in her role as president of the MADI museum’s board. She admitted confusion when first seeing the exhibit, saying “I was there on the Saturday helping unwrap those pieces and I didn’t know what they were expecting to be.” However, before her very eyes, Mrs. Hunt Blanc witnessed the true magic of Agam breathed into each piece of artwork. Each piece in this exhibition showcased “examples of kinetic art at its very best” and the integration of tactile art technology” brought new life to the show and definitely were the most contemporary.” Even though Agam canceled his visit last minute due to unexpected illness, art professionals and geometric novices alike thoroughly enjoyed the highly interactive exhibit.
When hearing about the international reputation Agam holds, many are surprised to find that the Jesuit museum actually displays a piece of artwork by Agam that every single person walks by on Fridays. The mammoth display entitled “Color & Rhythm” stands at an impressive 16×14 feet in the Terry Center, hidden behind the stairs leading to the art classrooms. Surprisingly, the nineteen sections of interwoven aluminum were first created in 1979, the piece so famous it was even featured in an Agam exhibit at the Guggenheim! “Color & Rhythm” intentionally sits behind the staircase, the movement of descending down the steps triggering a colorful and kinetic metamorphosis throughout the piece. By beginning on the third floor and pausing every three steps, viewers can see five radically different images superimposed through Agam’s signature manipulation of perspective.
Mrs. Hunt Blanc acts both as the president of the MADI and the director of Jesuit’s Art Museum, well versed in the many lives touched by Agam’s works. “Students appreciate art and seem to enjoy and certainly notice the Color and Rhythm piece,” said Hunt-Blanc, art connoisseurs even traveling to Jesuit specifically to view the piece. Any discussion of art or tour of the museum is incomplete without passing by this iconic work, the vibrant colors and kinetic movement a favorite of many school guests. As time passes and creativity continues to evolve, the future of the artistic landscape changes with it. Predicting whether Agam’s new tactile artwork will become popular or not is impossible, however, Mrs. Hunt Blanc ensures that as long as humanity endures “there will always be a place for excellent painters and excellent artists.”
Although you might have missed your chance to make the opening, the MADI will be hosting many exciting events before this fabulous exhibition leaves in April. Yaacov Agam’s work is one of the most collectible forms of art available on the market, and there will be an auction hosted by the Park West Gallery this spring with the chance to buy one of these riveting pieces. Agam himself will also be returning to Dallas April 21st for his exhibition’s closing, providing the extremely rare opportunity to meet a world-class artist in person. In the wise words of Mrs. Diane Pandolfi, “please do not miss this exhibition of remarkable paintings by this legendary artist for you will never forget how Mr. Agam’s magic brought you to the limitless 4th dimension.”
