The Magnetism of Takis
For Takis lovers and newbies alike, this new exhibition of his work at White Cube, Bermondsey is a great introduction to the works of the idiosyncratic sculptor.
You really must see one of his most striking works ‘Aeolian’ (1983). As you round the corner and enter the courtyard, this large work introduces you to Takis before you’ve even entered the building. Constructed of painted iron and polystyrene half spheres, the piece towers over the viewer with the spheres moving almost purposefully in the wind. This exhibition includes works already exhibited in the Takis retrospective at Tate in 2019. However, these works feel fresh. The interior and ambience of White Cube is very different. For me, the sparse, bright white and open nature of White Cube provoked a very different response. The exhibition at Tate felt darker, almost murky, whereas here the bright, airy expanse suits the larger exhibits, especially works that are part of Takis’ celebrated series ‘Signals’. The ambience of the gallery rooms enables a special treat for audio enthusiasts with the unusual and often unexpected music created by Three Musicals, three sculptures that produce Electromagnetic music (there are 9 that were shown in a sound installation at Tate) Takis was a multi-disciplinary artist who started working in figurative sculpture but became known as a pioneer of kinetic art, exploring magnetism, sound and light to create unusual and often ground-breaking installations and sculptures. This exhibition features key works from the private collection held by the Takis Foundation. The collection here demonstrates the breadth of his work over 5 decades and includes early figurative works in bronze and iron, selections from his magnetic explorations that include several ‘Magnetrons’ (1960’s) and stunning examples from his best known series ‘Signals’. |