Collection

Takis Foundation – Research Center for the Art and the Sciences is a formidable space created by the artist himself in order to make his work known and accessible to the general public. Visitors get the chance to admire pieces from throughout the artist’s entire artistic career, starting from the plaster busts he created in 1946 up to his latest works of art. The set of sculptures, paintings, and designs belonging to the Foundation is one of the most complete collections of Takis’ work, while it also provides a detailed overview of all stages and phases of his artistic career.The Foundation’s permanent collection allows visitors to explore the sculpting path of one of the most important artists of the 20th century, who thanks to his innovation and novelty has succeeded in being indelible in the world art history.

Furthermore, the collection is completed by works by other artists, both Greek and foreign, such as Niki de Saint Phalle, Roy Lichtenstein, Manolis Tzivelos and Minos Argyrakis.

The Foundation hosts the atelier – workshop of the artist, in which he has worked ever since he permanently returned to Greece. It is also where the “blacksmith” can be found, where the bigger format artworks of the artist are created and restored.

The gardens of the Foundation, an area of about eight acres, host the artist’s tall and imposing exterior sculptures, like the Signals, the Aeolians, the Flowers and more.

The Foundation has at its disposal the entire record associated with Takis’ work from 1946 until today. It includes over 1,000 historical photographs, both personal and of his works, catalogues from both individual and group exhibitions, printed as well as electronic articles and interviews of the artist, correspondence, diaries, recordings, videos and films, project drawings and architectural drawings.The Foundation is committed to making Takis’ lifework accessible to audiences and critics around the world, and this is the reason its archive is always available to any and all cultural and artistic institutions for exhibitions or publications, as well as to researchers for dissertations. The archive is not open to the general public. A lot of information on the life and work of the artist can be found on our website.

Files in the archive are still being processed for the time being.

The Foundation has a rich collection of modern and contemporary art books as well as science and technology writings.The library also includes almost all the catalogs of the artist’s individual exhibitions from 1954 until today, as well as a high number of catalogs from the collective exhibitions in which he has participated.

This is a space of reflection and study, a door open to anyone who is interested in exploring the art and studies of Takis, the history of the ancient cultures that govern his work and inspire him, and which will soon be open to the general public, both students and researchers.