On Monday morning, two days before Independence Day, artist Yaacov Agam — a pioneer of kinetic art who is known for his vibrant, abstract geometric shapes — entered the museum that bears his name.

Small, bearded, and wearing a colorful, graphic crocheted beanie that echoed the vivid artworks in the room, Agam had arrived together with his family to receive the 2026 Israel Prize for Visual Arts.

The award is usually presented at the national Independence Day ceremony, which will take place on Wednesday. However, the renowned artist will turn 98 in three weeks and is confined to a wheelchair. Unable to travel to Jerusalem to receive the award, a personalized ceremony was held in the Agam Museum in Rishon Lezion.

“I’d like to hold it in my hands,” said Agam, referring to the framed award, which had just been presented to him by Education Minister Yoav Kisch. “What does it say?”

His aide held it up, and this reporter read the inscription out loud to him.

“Mr. Yaacov Agam is one of the prominent and influential figures in the international and Israeli world of art. His work clearly reflects the spirit of Israeli creativity, innovation, breaking barriers, the connection between tradition and modernity, and a broad universal vision,” says the first paragraph of the Hebrew text.

Agam asked about the use of the word “universal,” puzzled that the transliterated term was used — universali — instead of the Hebrew word, olami.

“When I look around at my works, what I see is beyond the pieces........

© The Times of Israel