Yaacov Agam’s Legacy, Criticism and Vision Recalled After His Death at 98

Yaacov Agam, one of Israel’s most celebrated and debated artists, died on Sunday at 98. His works sold for hundreds of thousands of shekels and were shown in major museums worldwide, yet he was never a quiet or detached figure. He spoke bluntly, often irritated people, and seemed to enjoy the friction. Only this year, when he received the Israel Prize, and about nine years ago, when his museum opened, did he feel he may finally have been recognized at home.

His museum in Rishon Lezion opened to visitors only after nearly 20 years of construction, delayed in part by disputes with the city. Even so, Agam later said he would have preferred to wait longer, telling ynet that the inauguration was festive but unfinished: “The things are not yet complete or updated, and I do not want the public to rush there by the thousands.”

A central source of controversy was his Dizengoff Square fountain in Tel Aviv. He said in a 25-year-old interview that “the fountain did not become the Eiffel Tower because there was enormous jealousy among artists,” and argued that maintenance costs were no greater than insuring a Dani Karavan sculpture. He also complained that he had not exhibited in Israel for nearly 30 years, while abroad his work was sought after, and that in Israel he was associated with “dirt and junk” despite praise from figures such as the director of the Pompidou Centre.

Agam repeatedly addressed the commercial reproduction of his works, known as “Agam Industries,” saying he made editions so people without money could buy them and that forgers had damaged his market. He rejected the idea that he was commercial, saying he could have made far more money from inventions such as mezuzahs and lamps. He contrasted his international standing with local attitudes, saying, “In the world they call me Leonardo da Vinci and here they say I am an American cake.”

He framed his art as rooted in Jewish thought, color, movement and change, arguing that the rainbow’s harmony showed how opposites could coexist. He said art had taught him that “children are your children, what remains of us,” and that creation is “the purpose.” He also stressed education, saying schools must teach children to see, think creatively and solve problems, because “the real power we have today is not in mines or oil, it is in the energy children have.”