Legendary Israeli kinetic artist Yaacov Agam died Sunday at age 98, his family announced. Agam, a 2026 Israel Prize laureate, was known worldwide for his geometric, color-shifting works and monumental public sculptures, including the Fire and Water Fountain in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square. He will be laid to rest Monday in Rehovot.
Yaacov Agam, the pioneering Israeli kinetic artist who transformed the viewer's experience into a changing, participatory encounter, died Sunday at age 98. His family confirmed the passing, which was first reported by Israeli media earlier in the day.
Born in British Mandate Palestine in 1928, Agam studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design before training in Zurich and Paris. He became a central figure in the kinetic art movement, creating works that shift appearance as the viewer moves around them. His pieces are held by MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Centre Pompidou, among other major museums.
In 2026, Agam was awarded the Israel Prize for Visual Arts, the state's highest cultural honor. Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar eulogized him Sunday as a groundbreaking artist "who gave Israeli creation a unique and inspiring language," as The Zioneer reported earlier.
Agam's most recognizable public work in Israel is the Fire and Water Fountain in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square. He also designed the fountain at Paris' La Défense business district. His funeral is set for Monday in Rehovot.
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