Sunnylands fondly recalls the innovative artist, Yaacov Agam

The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands mourns the passing of Yaacov Agam, the pioneering kinetic artist whose works were so prominently displayed at Sunnylands that they helped define the visual aesthetics of the estate.

Agam died June 21, 2026, at the age of 98, according to The Times of Israel.

In 1976, Agam was already an internationally recognized artist when Leonore Annenberg, then president of the Palm Springs Desert (now Art) Museum’s board of trustees, oversaw the opening of its E. Stewart Williams building with an inaugural Agam exhibition.

The exhibition sparked a relationship between the Annenbergs and Agam. Between 1976 and 1981, Leonore and Walter either purchased or received as gifts 16 works by Agam. Sunnylands retains nine of the works, including Square Waves, a sculpture of teeter-tottering aluminum tubes that remains poolside at Sunnylands today.

The Annenbergs acquired more works by Agam than by any of his contemporaries, and by the late 1970s, four bold, large-scale Agam artworks dominated the terraces at Sunnylands. Others Agam pieces were displayed at Walter’s business offices in Pennsylvania.

As an innovator of kinetic art, Agam was renowned for his dynamic, vibrant compositions, which exemplify movement, color, and viewer interaction.  His works were the focus of the exhibition, In Motion: Agam at Sunnylands, at the Center & Gardens from September 16, 2020, through June 5, 2022.

Yaacov Agam

Agam was one of a select number of internationally renowned Israeli artists. His art can be found in many private and museum collections as well as in public buildings and outdoor spaces worldwide.

Square Waves, 1975

Placed next to the pool, Square Waves adds a witty element to the terrace. Sunnylands Collection 2009.1.8050

Reflecting Space, 1978

The gold-plated brass elements of this transformable kinetic sculpture can be rotated to interact with the surrounding space and light. Sunnylands Collection, 2009.1.86

One and Another, 1977

Part of a suite of seven serigraphs that gradually transform into a different image. Collection Palm Springs Art Museum, gift of Martin Lawrence Limited Editions, 34-1978.5

Shalom (Peace) from the Ner Tamid or Eternal Light Suite, 1990

This suite was made in honor of the sanctuary lamp that hangs above the ark found in synagogues. Collection Palm Springs Art Museum, gift of Albert P. Scaglione, R1991-4.28

Hidden Image, 1979

Through manual manipulation of this multigraph, striking colors vanish into a black and white grid. Sunnylands Collection, 2009.1.95