Yaacov Agam (born 1928) is an Israeli artist and pioneer of kinetic and optical art.
Born in Rishon LeZion, then British Mandate of Palestine, Agam studied at the Bezalel Academy
of Art and Design in Jerusalem before continuing his education in Zürich, Switzerland.
Agam is best known for his development of polymorphic art—works that change and create different visual
experiences depending on the viewer’s position and perspective.
His groundbreaking “Agamographs” are multi-dimensional pieces that shift in appearance as the viewer moves past them.
This interactive quality invites audience participation, making the viewer an essential part of completing the artwork’s experience.
His most famous public works include the “Fire and Water Fountain” in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square, the kinetic wall “Communication x 9”
at the AT&T building in New York, and “Double Metamorphosis III” at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Agam’s work often incorporates Jewish spiritual concepts, particularly the Kabbalah’s notions of infinite and dynamic reality.
His art represents a visual manifestation of these philosophical ideas through constant movement and transformation.
As one of Israel’s most internationally acclaimed artists, Agam’s contributions to modern art earned him numerous accolades,
including the Jan Amos Comenius Medal from UNESCO and the French Legion of Honor.
