Kalamata has received a major international distinction, as the mural by visual artist Kleomenis Kostopoulos, depicting Maria Callas on the central Aristomenous Street, was named the best in the world for 2025 by the international institution Street Art Cities. The artwork adorns the city center and has already become a landmark for residents and visitors alike. Through a dynamic artistic approach, the image of the great opera diva Maria Callas is brought to life in a public space, linking street art with contemporary Greek culture.

According to Street Art Cities, “Kalamata just made street art history. @kle_omenis monumental Maria Callas mural has been voted Street Art Cities Best Of 2025, making it the first Greek winner ever. For artist Kleomenis Kostopoulos, this work is a living narrative about place, memory, and cultural continuity.” “Callas isn’t a commemorative portrait, but a symbolic presence, a body carrying culture between past and present,” he says. Nature, roots, fruit, birds: symbols of identity born from the land and the people who inhabit it. The public response was overwhelming. “When a work in public space is embraced like this, you realise it no longer belongs to you, but to the people who live with it,” KLE shares”.

 (Source: Street Art Cities)

“Street Art Cities felt that power too: “Seeing Greece rally behind this mural was incredible. The passion and pride showed how strong the collective voice can be. We will soon visit to hand the award and see this monumental mural in person" shares Tiny Tim one of the co-founders. For KLE, the win is “a moment of gratitude, not a finish line, but motivation to keep working with responsibility toward the public space.” For Kalamata, it’s a reminder that cities can engage with contemporary culture without losing themselves. A mural rooted in place. A community that showed up. A historic first for Greece.” 

(Source: Kleomenis Kostopoulos)

Speaking earlier to Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the creator of the mural, Kleomenis Kostopoulos noted: “The Street Art Cities platform manages around 80,000–85,000 murals worldwide, across approximately 2,000 cities. They approached me and asked whether I would like my work to participate in the competition that selects the best mural of each month, for November”. The public vote did indeed select the work ‘Kalamata’ as the best mural of November 2025, which automatically qualified it as a nominee for the best artwork of the year.

Mural by Kleomenis Kostopoulos in Patras (2022), commemorating the Greek Righteous Among the Nations and the rescue of the Jews of Zakynthos. The mural depicts the Mayor of Zakynthos, Loukas Karrer, the Metropolitan of Zakynthos, Chrysostomos, and Hermandos Mordos with his wife Eftychia and their four children, Rebecca (Becky), Samuel, Moses, and Nina (Source: The Jewish Community of Athens)

The artist himself did not begin in street art. “I am a visual artist and painter,” he says, describing a path that included studies in Athens, nearly a decade in Germany, and ultimately a return to his hometown of Patras. There, as he explains, he felt the need to activate the contemporary cultural landscape in a city and a country which, as he puts it, “have unfortunately been in decline in recent years and are at a very critical point.”

Murals of ArtWalk in Patras: “IN CHAOS FIND JOY” by SOTEUR & The Flying Dolphins, Korinthou 406, Patras 2023(upper left), “Another Bad Hair Day” by D*Face, Korinthou 50, Patras 2022(upper right), “A New Dionysus” by Mon Devane, Skagiopouliou 32, Patras 2022 (lower left), “Jacob’s ladder” by Leonidas Giannakopoulos, Evdimou 4, Patras 2022(lower right)

This need gave rise to Art in Progress, the non-profit organization he founded, as well as a series of international festivals: Re-culture and later ArtWalk, an international mural festival that is currently in the process of holding its 11^th edition. “We have completed 78 large-scale murals in Patras. It may be one of the most recognized festivals in Europe and beyond,” he notes. Through this process came his personal engagement with art in public space. “I was never a street artist. Through the festival, I observed how my fellow artists created these ‘magical’ works on such large scales. That’s how my own involvement with murals began, in 2018,” he explains.

 (Source: Kleomenis Kostopoulos)

“Kalamata was a special case. The work emerged after many discussions with the Municipality, in a city that—according to the artist—was attempting such a central intervention in public space for the first time. “Out of absolute respect for public space, and for the fact that the city was entering the process of acquiring its first mural in such a central location, I wanted to engage with the very face of the city. To depict Kalamata itself,” explains Kleomenis Kostopoulos. “Thus, the choice of Maria Callas was not intended as a tribute to her person, but as a symbolic vehicle. Kalamata had to be a female figure. And because it is an outward-looking city, with tourism and an international audience that visits it, I felt that Callas—also due to a distant ancestral connection—could function as a representative figure,” he notes.

Working during the implementation of the project (Source: urbanjoy.gr)

Although the work was initially “misinterpreted” as a simple portrait, the artist clarifies that “this is not a portrait of Callas, but a portrait of Kalamata.” The mural is, in fact, filled with multi-layered symbolism: life and death, roots and evolution, natural wealth and human loss. On the seabed, for example, the businessman Papadimitriou is depicted swimming—an individual who linked his name to the city’s local products and passed away prematurely. “That’s what is beautiful about art in public space,” he says, explaining that the building itself is experientially connected to this story, as it was where the businessman once lived.

The trees behind the figure lack dense foliage, alluding to a “tragic element,” while the birds—from those with melodious songs to the crow—complete the cycle of life. Even the choice of the photograph of Callas is deliberately “more human, more worn,” far removed from the stylized images of the diva. Finally, the dress functions as a reference to agricultural products and the productive identity of the region.

Working during the implementation of the project. Photo: Dimitris Neofotistos/Street Art: KLE (Source: urbanjoy.gr)

The realization of the project was anything but easy. It began in late October 2025, with weather conditions forcing interruptions due to rainfall, and was ultimately completed in November 2025. Shortly afterward came the international recognition, and “Kalamata” is now competing in the major vote for the best artwork of 2025, facing cities and countries with long traditions in street art and significant international reach. However, the message conveyed by the artist goes beyond personal distinction, serving as evidence of the dynamism of contemporary Greek art.

Street art in Greece is a vibrant formof expression. Especially in cities like Athens and Thessaloniki, murals and graffiti reflect themes such as history, identity, and everyday urban life. Influenced by both local traditions and international movements, Greek street art has transformed public spaces into open-air galleries and has become an important voice for contemporary social commentary.

The Street Art Cities platform lists 574 street art masterpieces in Athens: https://streetartcities.com/cities/athens

Read also:

Kalamata International Dance Festival Unveils its Bold New Vision

I.A.

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On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the death of Fotis Kontoglou, the exhibition “Taximia”: In the Tradition of the Greek Mode: From History to Contemporary Painting explores the diachronic continuity of a visual mode that permeates Greek art from antiquity to the present. Rather than treating tradition as a static heritage or a style to be reproduced, the exhibition proposes it as a living, evolving method of seeing, thinking, and image-making—one that remains active across time.

Through approximately 150 works, the Greek line, “a thread that carries memory”, emerges as a bearer of deeper meaning. The Greek mode is understood as an attitude that shapes how the artist encounters the world. This continuity in painting is sustained not only by artists, but also by the dedication of individuals, collectors, and institutions who actively preserve and promote a living tradition. Through their participation, the Greek mode is revealed not as heritage, but as an ongoing dialogue, bridging past, present and future creation.

The exhibition’s curatorial approach focuses on the so-called Greek mode  as a way of seeing and constructing the image, notes art historian and curator Niovi Kritikou. From the Minoan era through classical antiquity and Byzantine art, a mode emerges that brings together seemingly opposing elements: abstraction and narration, sacredness and everyday life, measure and rhythm, restraint and expressive tension. These elements persist over time not as fixed forms, but as recurring principles that adapt to new historical and cultural contexts.

Through these principles, the Greek mode establishes a relationship with the viewer that differs fundamentally from Western representational paradigms. Rather than functioning as an illusionistic window into space, the image becomes a field of encounter and dialogue, inviting the viewer into an active, meaningful relationship with the work. The image is not autonomous or self-contained, but socially and culturally active, inseparable from its role within a community.

Fotis Kontoglou occupies a central position in this narrative. His contribution lies in his profound understanding of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art and his ability to translate its principles into a modern artistic context. Kontoglou liberated Byzantine imagery from narrow notions of representation, transforming it into presence—an active visual language relevant to the contemporary world. His work exerted a decisive influence on subsequent generations, particularly artists associated with the Generation of the 1930s, who sought to articulate a modern Greek identity without severing ties to tradition.

The title Taximia, a term borrowed from music referring to improvisation within a traditional framework, aptly encapsulates the exhibition’s conceptual approach. Just as musical taximia involve free improvisation grounded in tradition, explains art historian Emmanouela Archangelaki, the artists improvise upon the Greek mode, reactivating it through personal expression.

This practice begins with Fotis Kontoglou, who translated the lessons of Byzantine and Greek art into a contemporary pictorial language. Artists of the Generation of the 1930s continued this effort, shaping what we now recognize as the Greek mode, one in which line, surface, and palette function as living presence and imprint of place. Contemporary artists do not imitate this mode; rather, they transcribe it into the visual language of the present.

At the heart of the exhibition lies the notion of a Greek script: a thread of memory shaped by light and the erosions of place, where motif carries collective experience and composition becomes a field of measure. The Greek mode does not observe the world from a distance; it traverses it, listens to it, and transcribes it into an image.

Through this encounter of works and generations, the exhibition proposes that the Greek mode is not a fixed aesthetic schema of the past, but an open method continuously reactivated in the present. The exhibition thus forms a public space of shared memory, where tradition is not passively inherited but actively experienced. Art becomes a communal practice, weaving together ideas, emotions, memory, history, and lived experience—a living art, inseparable from the experience it offers.

The exhibition highlights the continuity among key figures of modern Greek art -Stephanos Almaliotis, Aghinor Asteriadis, Fotis Kontoglou, Rallis Kopsidis, and Tasos Mantzavinos- through works from private collections managed by the Archive of Modern Greek Religious Art, as well as works generously loaned by the Vogiatzoglou Art Gallery (Yannis Moralis, Vasso Katraki, Kostas Papanikolaou, Konstantinos Parthenis, Yannis Tsarouchis, Pavlos Samios, Alekos Fassianos). These are presented alongside works by contemporary artists, including Demosthenis Avramidis, Nektarios Antonopoulos, Giorgos Armakollas, Fotis Varthis, Giannis Efthymiou, Markos Kampanis, Nikos Kanavos, Kostas Karakitsos, Christos Kehagioglou, Giorgos Kordis, Alekos Kyrarinis, Dina Liarostathi, Nektarios Mamais, Aimilios Metaxas, Stavroula Mitsakou, Anastasios Babatzias, Christos Papadakis, Xenia Papadopoulou, Gina Papadopoulou, Achilleas Papakostas, Fr. Stamatis Skliris, Kostas Papatriantafyllopoulos, Babis Pylarinos, Jenny Saridi, Hambis, Pantazis Tselios, Emmeleia Filippopoulou, and Faii Psychopaedopoulou.

Intro photo: Christos Kehagioglou Life Giving Fountain

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In 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika embarked on a journey from West to East that lasted several months. This trip, which was instrumental in shaping his painting style, had as its main destinations America, Japan, Hong Kong, India, and Nepal.

India was the second major stop on his journey after Japan, with many of his drawings being inspired by that country, and in particular by the city of Benares (Varanasi). In India, Ghika discovered passion, mystery, and picturesque beauty, and he created a series of drawings depicting rituals, temples, women with babies, monkeys, and cows. The majority of these works were executed in India ink using the Japanese sumi technique, on handmade paper purchased from a factory in Nepal.

These drawings, together with a series of texts from his travels, are the only works that Ghika ultimately managed to publish in 1959 in a bilingual album, whose title was translated into English by Patrick Leigh Fermor. His texts and drawings are so closely interwoven that it is unclear whether the images illustrate the words or whether the words give voice to the images.

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (ΠΧΓ 594) Indian women carrying loads, (1958). Indian ink on Nepal paper, 0,38 x 0,46 m. Benaki Museum - Ghika Gallery, Athens

The exhibition Ghika: A Journey to India, dedicated exclusively to Ghika’s journey to India, was inaugurated at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), in New Delhi. The exhibition features twenty-seven drawings along with archive material. A video/animation is also presented, featuring the artist and his wife as central characters, who, through texts and drawings, guide visitors through their fascinating wanderings in the cities of India.

The exhibition was realized as a collaboration between the Benaki Museum, the NGMA, and the Greek Embassy in New Delhi, with the support of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Culture. It is hosted in the historic Jaipur House building of the NGMA, a UNESCO-protected monument, and will remain open to the public until 12 February 2026.

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (ΠΧΓ 271) Benares, India, 1958 Diluted ink and brush on paper, 0,275 x 0,575 m. Benaki Museum - Ghika Gallery, Athens

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (ΠΧΓ 597) Religious ceremony, (1958). Indian ink on Nepal paper, 0,38 x 0,46 m. Benaki Museum - Ghika Gallery, Athens

The inauguration event was addressed by Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary of India's Union Ministry of Culture, Dr Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, director general of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Ioanna Moraiti, curator of the Ghika Gallery Archive at Benaki Museum, and Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, Ambassador of Greece to India. Mr. Aggarwal and Mr. Kishor Goutam emphasized their enthusiasm for the exceptionally refined curation of the presentation of the works and for the fact that, after several decades, an exhibition of an exceptionally important Greek artist is taking place in India. The ceremony was attended by numerous artists, diplomats, friends of the Embassy and the NGMA, as well as journalists. The event received extensive coverage on television, social media, and in the press.

Read also:

A digital journey into the world of Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas

The “Generation of the Thirties” (Part Β) The return to the roots movement and Greekness in art

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Airports are complex infrastructures that involve, among other things, air transport (passengers/cargo), aircraft parking, support services, commercial activities (shops, cafes), and flight management (air traffic control, aircraft maintenance). However, its usefulness can be expanded and -under the right conditions- present an important opportunity to showcase a country's cultural wealth.

For example, at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, the largest airport in the country, there are four permanent exhibitions in addition to temporary exhibitions:

1. An exhibition of archaeological findings discovered in Mesogaia, containing 172 archaeological artifacts dating from the Neolithic and Early Helladic to the Post-Byzantine Periods.

2. The exhibition "Eleftherios Venizelos at Athens International Airport," which chronicles the role of Eleftherios Venizelos in modern Greek history and in the establishment of the Ministry of Aviation in 1929.

3. An exhibition that houses the masterpieces of the Acropolis and also offers a glimpse into life in ancient Athens.

4. A permanent exhibition of a sculptural installation, from aluminum composite panels & vinyl letters.

In December 2025, the opening of the MOMus Air museum in the departure area of Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia”  was announced by the Ministry of Culture, the Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki (MOMus), and Fraport Greece.

At the airport venue, MOMus Air showcases visual artworks and digital creations, and also has video walls projections and documentaries from the five museums of the MOMus network.

As Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni said, "MOMus Air is an excellent example of how culture can meet everyday life and accompany citizens even in the most unexpected places along their journey. This initiative enhances the outward focus of contemporary Greek creativity and makes Thessaloniki Airport a vibrant gateway to culture. The exhibition space transforms the departure area into a cultural landmark, connecting travel with the experience of contemporary art.

The project is a product of the collaboration between the airport management company and MOMus. As the President of the Organization stated: "MOMus Air would not have come to fruition without the practical support of the Ministry of Culture, which firmly supports our mission. Our warmest thanks also go to Fraport Greece for their excellent cooperation and for granting us such a central location at the largest airport in Northern Greece. With this new cultural gateway, MOMus is strengthening its outward orientation, promoting contemporary Greek creativity to an international audience, and contributing significantly to the enhancement of Thessaloniki's image."

MOMUS Air is part of the project “Enhancing digital projects and cultural exports of MOMus,” implemented under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0” with funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

MOMUS, based in Thessaloniki, is a cultural organization comprising a network of five museums focusing on contemporary and modern creation, photography, and experimental artistic expression. It has a significant international presence.

Sources: AMNA, Athens International Airport, Ministry of Culture, MOMus

Image source: Ministry of Culture

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The National Glyptotheque in Athens presents modern Greek sculpture from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, organised in thematic sections. The following Part II examines the evolution of Greek sculpture into Modernism, Abstraction, and contemporary trends. (Cover photo: General view of the National Glyptotheque outdoor area featuring Twelve Ray-Spoked Wheel on Cables Counterbalanced by a Sphere (1993), a large-scale sculpture by Theodoros, from the series "Equilibriums - Suspensions", Stainless steel and wire, 16 x 30 m)

Modernism and tradition. The French apprenticeship

General view of the 20^th century Sculpture Section at the National Glyptotheque

By the end of the first two decades of the 20^th century, Paris had won over Greek artists. At the same time, the sculptural ideas of Rodin—who drew deeply from the spirit of ancient Greek sculpture, blending its idealized forms with modern intensity and emotional realism—coexisted with those of Aristide Maillol (1861–1944), Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929), and Charles Despiau (1874–1946). Each exercised his own distinctive influence on Greek sculptors, while maintaining their shared focus on art centered on the human figure. The Hellenophile Antoine Bourdelle, in particular, brought once more to the fore the virtues of Greek Archaic sculpture and its austere style. Through his work and teaching, he guided his students back to the roots of their art. Maillol’s fleshy female figures, with their simple curves, simplified volumes, and clear outlines, played an especially decisive role for all who adopted his style, either wholly or selectively. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Apartis Thanassis (1899 - 1972), Torso of a Portuguese Man or Male Torso, 1921, Bronze, 67 x 39 x 22 cm (left). Apartis was the first of several Greek sculptors to study under Antoine Bourdelle. The teachings of the latter and other descendents of Rodin and the simplicity of Archaic sculpture shaped Apartis’ style (left). Pappas Yannis (1913 - 2005), The Painter Yannis Moralis, 1937, Bronze, 174 x 55 x 45 cm (right). Pappas remained faithful to the figurative depiction focused on the human being throughout his entire artistic career. His style echoes both archaic Greek and Egyptian sculpture, as well as the contemporary trends.

Tombros Michael (1889 - 1974), Two Friends, 1929, Marble, 66 x 33 x 21 cm (left) Stout Seated Woman, 1948, Bronze, 103 x 45 x 68 cm (right). Tombros was a leader in disseminating avant-garde European currents in Greek art. While always remaining anthropocentric, he created free works, particularly of female figures, mainly reflecting Aristide Maillol’s plastic style (right)

Raftopoulou Bella (1902 - 1992), Maiden, 1931, Stone, 64 x 36,5 x 27,5 cm (left). Working mainly in stone, which she carved directly, Raftopoulou focused on the female figure as well as animals and birds. In her earliest works, the realistic approach reflected what she had learned from her professor, Thomas Thomopoulos, and, in certain cases, even Rodin. Makris Memos (Agamemnon) (1913-1993), Spring Dance, 1977, Hammered copper, 230 x 100 x 76 cm (right). Makris centered his attention on the human figure, faithful to representation but with a strong tendency toward the schematic and the abstract. His full figure sculptures, reflect the precepts of archaic art as well as his apprenticeship in Paris.

Anthropocentrism. Towards simplification and abstraction

General view of the 20th century Sculpture Section at the National Glyptotheque. On the left side: Efthymiadi-Menegaki Frosso (1911 - 1995), Nike, (1960), Hammered brass, 103,5 x 84 x 35,5 cm. After 1955, Efthymiadi turned to metal and created abstract compositions, either static or in motion, in which the void plays a prominent role.

By the mid-1940s, the human figure and figurative representation had practically monopolized the interest of Greek artists. However, the stimuli they received in Paris were numerous and diverse. Thus, while several remained faithful to academic styles, others, from the early 1950s onward, gradually turned to more simplified and abstract forms. This shift led to a schematic, suggestive, fragmentary, or expressionistic rendering of the human figure, which in some cases was also used as a means of expressing political or social protest, anxious psychological states, or personal experiences. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Avramidis Joannis (1922 - 2016), Polis, 1965 – 1968, Bronze, 203 x 270 x 135 cm. Containing clear-cut elements from archaic sculpture, Avramidis’ figures are rendered schematically, in the form of a column or pillar, isolated or in a multiplicity of combinations.

Kalakallas Giorgos (1938 - 2021), Harlequin, 1983, Bronze, 108 x 65 x 30 cm (left). Kalakallas fashioned his personal style combining elements taken from differing stylistic trends and the tradition with the avant garde. Koulentianos Kostas (1918 - 1995), Sea Victory, 1954, Iron, 76 x 63 x 33 cm (right). The influence of Henri Laurens can be easily spotted in the works from the 50s, in which Koulentianos was still working in a figurative framework, but with a strong abstractive tendency, his subjects still revolving around the human figure.

Abstraction and other trends

The trend toward simplification and abstraction, initially expressed through sculpture rooted in the human figure, gradually led to the rejection of figurative representation and ultimately to complete abstraction. At the same time, sculptors abandoned traditional materials and turned to iron, steel, and other metals. Cubism and Constructivism—with their dynamic projection into space and the incorporation of empty space as a defining sculptural element—became key sources of inspiration, as did organic forms. Compositions were enriched with new materials. Science and technology also provided important stimuli. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Aperghis Achilleas (1909 - 1986), Solitude, 1966, Bronze, 205 x 58 x 38 cm (left). Even in the earliest of Apergis’ abstract works the endeavor to limit the volume while developing the figure in space is apparent, sometimes stressing the vertical and other times the horizontal. Sklavos Yerassimos (1927 - 1967), La Passante, 1965, Marble, 266 x 100 x 63 cm (right). Sklavos created works in the round, in the context mainly of geometric and in certain cases organic abstraction. In 1960, he invented “Telesculpture”, a patented technique that enabled him to carve his materials more easily, using an oxyacetylene flame. 

Lameras Lazaros (1913 - 1998), Penteli in Ecstasy, 1948, Marble, 48,5 x 47 x 12 cm (left). The inspiration for the piece was the mountain in Attica that had provided the marble for many important works of sculpture dating back to antiquity. Lameras was a sculptor who comfortably moved between traditional art and contemporary currents. Vari Sofia (1940 - 2023), Centaur, 1985, Bronze, 77 x 70 x 60 cm (right). Vari’s early stylisation evolved into abstraction, echoing the styles of Henry Moore and Jean Arp, with subjects inspired by Greek mythology.

Zongolopoulos Giorgos (1903 - 2004), Composition of Circles, 1998, Stainless metal, 300 cm. A significant portion of Zongolopoulos’ oeuvre is made up of his constructivist compositions that incorporate the void.

After Abstraction

General view of the 20th century Sculpture Section at the National Glyptotheque. On the left side: Zouni Opy (1941 - 2008), White Column, 1991, Acrylic in wooden manufacture with base stainless steel, 240 x 20 x 20 cm. Through geometric shapes, bold colours, and a lyrical mood, Zouni captures light, shadow, motion, and perspective, and the immense space seems even more immense, due to the human absence.

Abstraction, which dominated the 1960s and 1970s, later declined, giving way to—or at times coexisting with—a variety of other artistic currents. From the 1980s onward, a renewed turn toward figurative and expressive forms emerged, embraced not only by younger artists but also by those who had previously committed to abstraction. This shift often resulted in works of striking realism, with traditional materials frequently replaced by everyday or natural substances. The human figure appears as part of an environment or installation that reshapes its meaning, occasionally conveying irony, layered critique, or protest. Conversely, although depictions of nature are relatively uncommon in sculpture, they do surface in different forms within the work of certain artists—either as a primary focus or as a fragment within their broader creative practice. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Liti Aphroditi (1953), Leaf, 1984, Iron, mirror, 73 x 333 x 508 cm. Drawing her inspiration from nature, Liti transforms reality into outsized images, elements from the natural world that reside on the ground or are suspended. Various metals, mirrors, mosaics, marble, stone and plaster are the mediums she uses to remodel images of the natural world.

Papayannis Theodoros (1942), Figure from the series “My Phantoms”, 1994 – 1995, Wood, metal and mixed media, height 250 cm (left). The human figure isolated or in pairs, has been the focus of Papayannis’ work in all the stages of his creative career. He quickly distanced himself from strict naturalistic depiction, turning to more abstract renditions. Papadimitriou Angelos (1952), Apollo (Ap’ olon), 2007, Porcelain, papier mache, polyester, iron, 110 x 140 x 180 cm (right). The work is inspired by C.P. Cavafy’s poem “Artificial Bloom”.

Current exhibition: “The Farm”

Exhibition view featuring Frosso Efthymiadi-Menegaki’s Ibex (1955), Brass, 74 × 41 × 24 cm

Currently, the exhibition "THE FARM" is presented in the outdoor space of the National Glyptotheque. Works by Thanassis Apartis, Bella Raftopoulou, Antonis Karachalios, Yannis Antoniadis, Nikolas Dogoulis, but especially Frosso Efthymiadi Menegaki, create a fantastic, artistic environment, integrated into the natural landscape of the park, with familiar and less well-known figures, in characteristic poses. At the same time, however, they reveal the relationship, the emotions and the unique perspective of each artist towards the animals or birds they wanted to depict: the tenderness for their own pet or for the pet of a neighbor, but also for the unknown animals, which they used as models. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

The Christos Kapralos Museum, an annex of the National Gallery on the island of Aegina

In 1995, the six halls of Christos Kapralos’ workshop on the island of Aegina began operating as a museum (photo above), two years after the sculptor’s death. In 2006, the Christos and Souli Kapralos Foundation became part of the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum. In its halls and outdoor areas, visitors can view wooden, stone, and marble sculptures, as well as paintings, all created by the sculptor on Aegina. Among the most important exhibits are the plaster cast of Kapralos’ forty-meter porous-stone frieze The Monument to the Battle of Pindos (1952–1956), as well as the wooden complex Parody from the Pediment of Olympia (1971–1972). Christos Kapralos (1909-1993) focused on the human figure, modeled realistically in clay, plaster, stone, and marble and inspired by archaic Greek sculpture. In the 1960s he adopted semi-abstract forms in copper, marked by distortion and fragmentation. He also created wood compositions drawing on mythology, history, Christian themes, and everyday objects.

Read also:

The National Glyptotheque (Part I)

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 1/6: “From self-referentiality to the gesture”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6: “From Painting to the Object”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6: “From Sculpture to Energy”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 4/6: “From the work to the process”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 5/6: “From rhetoric to cultural representation”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 6/6: “Towards a new spatial art”

Greek Sculpture Meets Diplomacy: Frosso Efthymiadi’s “Iketides” at the UN

I.A.

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The National Glyptotheque is housed in the twin buildings of the former Royal Stables at the Army Park in Goudi, Athens. Moreover, it covers an outdoor area of 6.500㎡, which hosts a sculpture park, where large-scale works are on display. It was inaugurated in 2004, with a retrospective exhibition of Henry Moore and monumental wood sculptures by Christos Kapralos. In 2006, the Modern Greek Sculpture Permanent Display was inaugurated, providing, for the first time, a complete overview of the sculpture collection in a dedicated space. Also for the first time, a comprehensive catalogue was published, available in English (Cover photo: General view of the National Glyptotheque).

Six iconic sculptures by major international artists are on display at the exhibition entrance: Magritte Rene (1898 - 1967), The Healer (Le Therapeute), 1967, Bronze, 145 x 128 x 90 cm, donated by Alexandros Iolas (right), Unknown, Island Fanlights, Marble (left)

The exhibition consists of eleven sections, which trace Modern Greek sculpture from its earliest beginnings to the present day.

Folk sculpture

After Christianity spread, ancient Greek sculpture declined, becoming mainly decorative. In post-Byzantine times, it survived as folk art through wood, metal, and stone carving. By the early 19^th  century, sculpture revived on the Ionian Islands and across Greece, where anonymous craftsmen created remarkable works on fountains, houses, churches, and tombs, blending Western, Eastern, and traditional elements. In the Cyclades—especially on Tinos island, known for its marble-working tradition—stone carving thrived. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Unknown, Island Fanlight, Marble, 52 x 73,5 cm. The fanlights are a separate category of lintels all their own, widespread throughout Tinos island. In the shape of a perforated relief arch, they were placed over the doors or the windows and served a multiple function: structural, because they cover the relieving triangle over the lintel, practical, because they allowed light to reach the inside, aesthetic, because they were decorated with various depictions and magical because the decorative representations frequently had the aforementioned attribute of protecting the house from, or driving away, evil spirits.

Lytras Chatziantonis (c. 1800 - 2nd half 19th century), Windmill, 1837, Marble, 49 x 62 cm. An eponymous example of folk sculpture made by the marble sculptor Chatziantonis Lytras, father of the painter Nikephoros Lytras, just before the appearance of official sculpture in the newly liberated Greek state. It bears the marks of the characteristic perception of the folk artisan: decorative schematization, a flat rendering without any perspective and a lack of proportions.

Ionian Island Sculpture and Neoclassical Sculpture

The reappearance of sculpture as an autonomous art and its liberation from its secondary, decorative role was realized at the beginning of the 19^th century in the Ionian Islands through the work of the Corfiot sculptor Pavlos Prossalentis the Elder. Prossalentis was the first academic modern Greek sculptor and in 1813 he founded the first Art School in Greece, on the island of Corfu, since the rest of Greece was still under the Turkish yoke.

After Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834, many skilled Tinian craftsmen arrived to help decorate the city’s new buildings. The need for organized art education led to the founding of the School of Arts in 1837, where sculpture began being taught in 1847 under German sculptor Christian Siegel. He introduced neoclassicism, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art. Early students, including Ioannis Kossos, Lazaros and Georgios Fytalis, and Leonidas Drossis, who made the sculptural decoration for the Athens Academy, became leading neoclassical sculptors. Their works—statues of heroes, public figures, and funerary monuments—reflected both classical ideals and the emerging identity of the modern Greek state. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

General view of the Neoclassical Sculpture Section at the National Glyptotheque

Prossalentis Pavlos the Elder (1784 - 1837), Plato, 1815, Marble, 46 x 34 x 24 cm; it is the first dated work in modern Greece (left), Fytalis Georgios (1830 - 1880), Shepherd with Baby Goat, 1856, Marble, 110 x 48 x 42 cm (right)

Drossis Leonidas (1834 - 1882), Penelope, 1873, Marble, 143 x 75 x 133 cm (left), Vroutos Georgios (1843 - 1909), The Spirit of Copernicus, 1877, Marble, 188 x 77 x 67 cm (right)

Yannoulis Chalepas (1851-1938) stands as a unique figure in modern Greek sculpture, his career marked by both brilliance and tragedy. A gifted artist, he studied at the Athens School of Arts and the Munich Academy, where he excelled before financial hardship forced his return to Athens in 1876. Despite early success, mental illness struck in 1878, ending his first creative period, which had drawn heavily on ancient Greek themes. After years in the Corfu Asylum (1888–1902) and the destruction of his later works by himself and his mother, Chalepas resumed sculpting only after her death in 1916. His mature style abandoned academic precision for a freer, instinctive approach that emphasized essential form over detail. His later works—robust, introspective, and symbolically charged—reflect a deeply personal dialogue with antiquity and his own inner struggles.

Chalepas Yannoulis (1851 - 1938), Sleeping Female Figure (Plaster cast from the tomb of Sofia Afentaki in the First Cemetery of Athens), 1878, Plaster, 77 x 178 x 76 cm (upper), Medea III, 1933, Plaster, 72 x 43 x 24 cm (lower left), The Secret, before 1927, Painted plaster, 48 x 30 x 20 cm (lower right)

General view of the 20^th century Sculpture Section at the National Glyptotheque

From Neoclassicism to Realism and to 20^th century

Neoclassicism dominated Greek sculpture through the 19^th century and into the early 20^th, but studies in Europe exposed Greek sculptors to new artistic trends. This led to more realistic themes inspired by everyday life, often created to decorate gardens and entertain the public. Dimitrios Filippotis pioneered such works in 1869 with The Harvester, depicting children in daily activities. Georgios Vroutos and Georgios Bonanos also embraced realism while preserving neoclassical traits—idealized forms and smooth surfaces. In contrast, traditional subjects like busts soon adopted a more naturalistic style, portraying real individuals rather than idealized, imaginary figures. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Filippotis Dimitrios (1834 - 1919), Boy with Piggy-Bank, (1888), Marble, 136 x 47 x 40 cm (right), Irene Abanopoulou, 1879, Marble, 68 x 48 x 29 cm (left)

Bonanos Georgios (1863 - 1940), Nana, 1896 – 1897, Marble, 165 x 91 x 132 cm (left), Vroutos Georgios (1843 - 1909), The Boy with the Crab, 1891, Marble, 125 x 50 x 50 cm (right)

The turn to Paris

Although 19^th-century Greek sculpture was dominated by neoclassicism, a shift toward renewal began around 1870, blending classical tradition with emerging realistic trends. Artists gradually turned to Paris, as seen with Lazaros Sochos, who studied there - he was the first Greek sculptor who preferred to do his post-graduate studies in the French capital in 1885 - and created the equestrian statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, in front of the Old Parliament House in Athens, now housing the National Historical Museum. At the same time, Auguste Rodin’s influence transformed European sculpture and inspired many Greeks. His expressive modeling, use of allegory, and focus on the fragmentary figure appealed to sculptors trained in the neoclassical style. Thomas Thomopoulos, although having studied in Munich, was to be characterized as “the introducer of the Rodin School into Greece”, while Kostas Dimitriadis fully developed it, establishing modern Greek sculpture’s new direction. (Source: National Glyptotheque)

Sochos Lazaros (1857/1862 - 1911), Bust of a Clergyman (probably the Greek priest, philosopher and revolutionary, Theophilos Kairis), 1889, Clay, 50 x 31 x 20 cm (left), Vitsaris Ioannis (1843 - 1892), Christos, the Black Guy, 1874, Painted plaster, 7,8 x 36,3 x 39 cm (right)

Dimitriadis Constantinos (1879 - 1943), Nude Female Figure or Dancer, 1920, Marble, 75 x 23 x 52 cm (left), Thomopoulos Thomas (1873 - 1937), Centaur, 1901, Painted marble, 60,5 x 34 x 17 cm

The following Part II will examine the evolution of Greek sculpture into Modernism, Abstraction, and contemporary trends.

Read also:

Arts in Greece | A Tribute to Greek sculptor Yannoulis Chalepas on the occasion of World Mental Health Day

The Munich School, the first artistic current in the modern Greek state

I.A.

The post The National Glyptotheque (Part I) appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

The current exhibition, “Greek Visual Artists and the Shaping of American Art in the 20^th Century”, presented at the Athens Municipal Arts Center until October 30^th, highlights the role played by Greek and Greek-American artists - "Greeks of the Diaspora" - in the formation of an American visual language with a global and lasting impact. In a time when connections between the local and the global are once again being sought, the exhibition, co-organized by the Hellenic Diaspora Foundation and the Organization of Culture, Sports, and Youth of the Municipality of Athens (OPANDA), serves as a vibrant cultural link and a vehicle for cultural diplomacy. (Cover photo: Artwork creation by Christos Antonaropoulos, cover of the catalogue of the exhibition)

Georgia Manolopoulou, curator of the exhibition, Museologist and  Researcher in Cultural Diplomacy, notes that “art has always been a bridge. And this exhibition functions as such a bridge, between places and times, between the memory and matter of Greek cultural heritage and the dynamism of the American avant-garde, between the silent influence and the recognized role of the Greek Diaspora. An aspect of the creative Diaspora that, although actively present in the formation of the international artistic avant-garde, often remains invisible in public discourse in Greece. The exhibition attempts to bring this contribution back to the forefront, not as an act of restoration, but as an opening towards interconnection and co-creation”.

Featuring 23 artists of Greek descent, 176 works, and decades of creative presence in the USA, the exhibition offers a lived narrative in which each work reveals the inner tension of “belonging” and “co-belonging,” artistic expression as an act of identity, and the influence of the Greek perspective within American avant-garde. According to the curator of the exhibition, Georgia Manolopoulou, “culture and Art created by Greek Americans is not merely the sum of individual works; it is participation in a new version of the Common Place, where Art becomes a means of presence, soft power and co-creation. In this context, the contribution of the Greek Diaspora is not only evidence of successful integration, influence, and co-creation, but also an example of cultural diplomacy from within. An informal but essential ethical and political act, where aesthetics becomes a language of common understanding, acceptance, and dialogue, and difference becomes a field of coexistence rather than exclusion”.

Nina Leen, The Irascibles, November 24, 1950, Black and white photograph, 34x27 cm, Collection of the Hellenic Diaspora Foundation. The photograph depicts two Greek visual artists: on the left, Theodoros Stamos, first in the front row, and William Baziotes, second in the middle row, who profoundly influenced the Abstract Expressionism movement, known as the New York School (Source:  Catalogue of the Exhibition). The Irascibles or Irascible 18 were the labels given to a group of American abstract artists who put name to an open letter, written in 1950, to the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, rejecting the museum's exhibition American Painting Today - 1950 and boycotting the accompanying competition. The subsequent media coverage of the protest and a now iconic group photograph that appeared in Life magazine gave them notoriety, popularized the term Abstract Expressionist and established them as the so-called first generation of the putative movement. Life magazine decided to publish a photo story for their January 15, 1951 edition, which would document the results of the competition and feature a photograph of the protesters. Front row: Theodoros Stamos, Jimmy Ernst, Barnett Newman, James Brooks, Mark Rothko; middle row: Richard Pousette-Dart, William Baziotes, Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, Bradley Walker Tomlin; back row: Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, Ad Reinhardt, Hedda Sterne (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Irascibles)

Georgia Manolopoulou also notes that “Greek visual artists and those of the Diaspora contributed values, ideas, forms, and innovative practices, and forged a network of relationships through art studios and universities to galleries, major museums, and public spaces. Through their work, these creators transformed their relocation and their new home into a creative force, and cultural diversity into a source of innovation. Gestural surfaces and fields of color (Stamos), new sculptural materiality and expression of matter (Voulkos, Benglis), the relationship between typography, city, and light (Chryssa), as well as the radical anatomy of self-image (Lucas Samaras), are milestones in a polyphonic but coherent and unique artistic journey. At the same time, the lyricism of William Baziotes reveals how memory and myth can be integrated into modernism with sensitivity and inner balance”.

Theodoros Stamos, Sentinel, 1962-1964, Oil on canvas, Dimensions 173 x 152.4 cm (left), Infinity Field, Lefkada Series, 1977, Αcrylic on canvas, Dimensions 182.9 x 152.4 cm (right).

Theodoros Stamos (1922-1997) was born in New York to a family of Greek immigrants. Initially he attended evening sculpture classes at the American Artists School; he shifted to painting in the late 1930s. Influenced by artists like Milton Avery and Henri Rousseau, his style evolved toward surreal biomorphism and later abstract expressionism. In the early 1950s, Stamos joined the famous group known as “The Irascible Eighteen”. He exhibited widely, including with André Emmerich’s gallery until 1970. That year, he moved to Lefkada, Greece, and began his Endless Fields series. His works are in major museums such as the Met, MoMA, and the Whitney. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org) 

William Baziotes, Sphynx, 1947, Oil on canvas, Dimensions 96.5 x 75.2 cm (left), Indolence, 1951, Oil on canvas, Dimensions 76.3 x 61.4 cm (right).

William Baziotes (1912-1963) was born in Pittsburgh to Greek parents and grew up in Pennsylvania. In 1933, he moved to New York and studied at the National Academy of Design. Influenced by surrealism and expressionism, Baziotes developed a biomorphic abstract style. He exhibited widely, including solo shows at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery (1944) and Samuel Kootz’s gallery (1946). In 1948, he co-founded the Subjects of the Artist School alongside Rothko and others. Baziotes was also part of “The Irascible Eighteen. His works are held in major museums such as the Met, MoMA, and Whitney. (hellenicdiaspora.org)

Nassos Daphnis, #26-66, 1966, Epoxy paint on paper, mounted on masonite, Dimensions 87 x 121.9 cm (upper), Untitled, 1982, Acrylic resin and enamel on canvas, Dimensions 223,5 x 185,4 cm (lower left), Untitled, 1977, Enamel on canvas, Dimensions 190,5 x 228,6 cm (lower right).

Nassos Daphnis (1914–2010) was a Greek-born American artist and a pioneer of hard-edge painting. Immigrating to the U.S. at 16, he began painting without formal training and held his first solo show in New York in 1938. After serving in World War II, his style evolved from surreal biomorphism to bold geometric abstraction, influenced by Piet Mondrian. He developed a personal color theory and became known for vibrant compositions with sharp lines and contrasting hues. Throughout the 1960s–1980s, he experimented with plexiglass, monumental murals, and even computer-generated designs. Daphnis’s work bridged minimalism and abstract expressionism with both structural precision and expressive energy. His paintings are held in major institutions, including MoMA, the Whitney, and the Met. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

New York, 1982, 25th Anniversary Lunch of Castelli Gallery at The Odeon. Standing left – right: Ellsworth Kelly, Dan Flavin, Joseph Kosuth, Richard Serra, Lawerence Weiner, Nassos Daphnis, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenberg, Salvatore Scarpitta, Richard Artschwager, Mia Westerlund Roosen, Cletus Johnson, Keith Sonnier Seated left – right: Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Leo Castelli, Ed Ruscha, James Rosenquist, Robert Barry. Photo: Hans Namuth (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

Chryssa Vardea-Mavromichali , untitled (Chinese relief), 1981, Charcoal, pastel and pencil on paper, Dimensions 49 x 49 cm (left), Bouzouki Capital, 1957, Bronze, brass, ivory, limestone base, Dimensions 39 x 37 x 37 cm, Base 75 x 42 cm (right).

Chryssa (1933–2013) was a pioneering Greek-American artist known for her innovative use of neon lighting in sculpture. Born in Athens, she studied in Paris and San Francisco before settling in New York in the 1950s. Influenced by the vibrant urban life of New York, she created iconic works such as The Gates to Times Square (1966), combining neon, steel, and plexiglass. She exhibited widely, including at MoMA, the Whitney Museum, and Documenta, and collaborated with leading galleries like Betty Parsons and Leo Castelli. Returning to Athens in the 1990s, she created the Cinema Oasis series, blending neon, aluminum, and city sounds. Chryssa’s work is held in major museums worldwide, including MoMA, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

Peter Voulkos (1924-2002), Walking Man, 1990, Fired stoneware, Dimensions 71,1 x 50,8 x 40,6 cm (upper), Stoneware basin, Fired stoneware, Dimensions 12,7 x 50,8 cm (lower left), Ice bucket No2, 1986, Fired stoneware, Dimensions 35 x 47 x 46 cm (lower right).

Peter (Panagiotis) Voulkos was born in Bozeman, Montana, to Greek immigrant parents. He studied ceramics at Montana State College. Voulkos revolutionized ceramics by blending traditional techniques with abstract expressionist styles, creating large-scale, gestural works. He chaired the ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute and later taught at the University of California. His work expanded to monumental bronze sculptures exhibited widely, including a solo show at MoMA in 1960. Voulkos held hundreds of exhibitions, earned numerous awards, and influenced the transformation of ceramics from craft to fine art. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

Stephen Antonakos, MA 13, 1980, Col-erase pencil on paper, Dimensions 43,18 x 35,56 cm (upper), Floor Neon, 1967, Mixed Media, Dimensions 35.6 x 55.9 cm (lower left), Neon, 1967, Mixed Media, Dimensions 35.6 x 55.9 cm (lower right).

Stephen Antonakos (1926–2013) was a Greek-American artist known for pioneering the use of neon lighting in contemporary art. Born in Laconia, Greece, he moved to New York in 1930, where he began drawing and working in advertising. In the late 1950s, he started creating three-dimensional constructions and, by 1960, became one of the first artists to use neon tubes as an artistic medium. His work explores the interplay of light, color, and architectural form, blending painting and sculpture. Antonakos exhibited internationally, participated in major events like Documenta and the Venice Biennale, and created public installations across the US, Europe, and Asia. His pieces are held in prestigious collections including MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

Lucas Samaras, Chair Transformation, 1969-70, Corten Steel, Dimensions 240 x 150 x 45 cm (upper left), Drawing #2, 1982, Colored pencil, on black cutout wove paper, Dimensions 44,5 x 29,2 cm (upper right), Panorama, 1984, Polaroid collage, Dimensions 27,3 x 81,3 cm (lower)

Lucas Samaras (1936–2024) was a Greek-American artist known for his innovative work in photography, sculpture, and installation art. Born in Kastoria, Greece, he moved to the United States in 1948. He studied at Rutgers University and Columbia, influenced by mentors like Allan Kaprow and George Segal. Samaras gained early recognition for his experimental use of materials such as aluminum foil and mirrors. In the 1960s, he created his famous “Mirrored Room” installations and began transforming everyday objects in his sculptures. He is also renowned for his “AutoPolaroids,” a photographic series exploring self-identity through distorted and manipulated self-portraits. Samaras exhibited widely, including at MoMA, Whitney Museum, and Documenta. His retrospective exhibitions have been held internationally. His work is held in major collections such as the Guggenheim and Tate Britain. Throughout his career, he explored themes of self-exploration, transformation, and the boundaries between reality and illusion. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org)

Lynda Benglis (1941), Weaver, 1999, Aluminum with gold leaf, Dimensions 33 x 33 x 17.8 cm (left), Bird’s Nest, 2016, Glazed ceramic, Dimensions 92,7 x 21,6 cm (right).

Lynda Benglis, born in 1941 to a Greek-American family - her father was a son of Greek immigrants from Kastelorizo - grew up in Louisiana and studied painting at Tulane University. Moving to New York in 1964, she became known for her innovative sculptural works using materials like latex and polyurethane foam, challenging traditional art forms and minimalism. In 1969, her work featured in the Whitney Museum’s Anti-illusion exhibition. Benglis embraced feminist ideas, creating provocative installations and videos exploring gender and identity. She taught at various universities and continued evolving her practice through glass, ceramics, and large-scale sculptures. Benglis has exhibited globally, with works held in major museums like MoMA and the Guggenheim. (Source: hellenicdiaspora.org )

The Hellenic Diaspora Foundation is based in Patras, and holds in its collections over 2,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, as well as visual artworks and installations by artists of Greek descent who lived in America or other countries abroad during the 20^th century. The Foundation collects, preserves, and maintains contemporary artworks with the aim of promoting Art and Culture. It utilizes contemporary art as a tool for inspiration, education, research, innovation, and development.

The Hellenic Diaspora Foundation ensures access to research, knowledge, and the connection of the wider public with contemporary art; supports contemporary artistic creation; collaborates with cultural institutions, both public and private, domestically and internationally, as well as with civil society, implementing joint contemporary art initiatives; supports new ideas, creativity, and innovative productions; promotes understanding between different cultures through dialogue with its exhibition collections; embraces the belief that culture should not be regarded as a luxury, but rather as the cohesive fabric of societies, a source of collective memory, knowledge, inspiration, spiritual liberation, and creativity.

(Source: The Hellenic Diaspora Foundation)

Also read:

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 1/6

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 4/6

I.A.

The post Greek Visual Artists and the Shaping of American Art in the 20th Century appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Art Athina stands as a distinguished celebration of contemporary artistry, offering visitors an exceptional opportunity to engage with a diverse array of creative expressions. The fair impresses with its thoughtfully curated presentation, seamlessly combining visual appeal for both seasoned collectors and newcomers to the art world.

The breadth of work on display is remarkable, encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media and design, each piece reflecting a distinct artistic voice and vision. Beyond the individual artworks, the fair fosters a sense of community, cultivating an environment in which dialogue, exploration and reflection that allows visitors to encounter artists in a setting that is simultaneously sophisticated and welcoming.

In every respect, Art Athina affirms the enduring power of art to inspire, provoke and connect. It is a thoroughly enriching experience that underscores the vitality and innovation present within today’s artistic landscape and one that promises to leave a lasting impression on all who attend.

Launched in 1993 by the Hellenic Art Galleries Association, Art Athina is the leading art fair in Greece and one of the longest-running in Europe. Over the past three decades, it has become a landmark event for showcasing Greek and international galleries, while connecting artists, curators, collectors and the wider public. From immersive performances to visually striking exhibitions, this year’s program offers a vibrant celebration of creativity, collaboration and the cutting edge of contemporary art.

“Art Athina is a gathering where the Greek visual arts scene presents the finest examples of its annual production, alongside fascinating proposals from abroad. It is an event measured not only by numbers and success, but above all by the imprint it leaves on the city and in the memory of those who take part. It is an institution that continually reinvents itself, remaining relevant and fresh,” notes the Art Athina’s general director, Antonis Kourkoulos.

More than an exhibition, Art Athina is a cultural institution that fosters dialogue, experimentation, and education through curated programs, performances, talks and initiatives that highlight both established and emerging voices. Its enduring presence underscores its role as a cornerstone of Greece’s contemporary art scene and a bridge to the global art community.

“In the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art, Art Athina continues to stand as a steadfast point of reference for the country’s artistic community. With its consistent and enduring presence, it serves as a vibrant platform for openness, dialogue, and growth—strengthening the ties between the national art scene and the international art world. Its ongoing presence ensures the advancement of local artistic production, the support of galleries, and, above all, the cultivation of an active and engaged audience” emphasizes Yianna Grammatopoulou, President of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Art Galleries Association.

Art Athina 2025 takes place at Zappeion Mansion, from September 18–22, 2025, bringing together 72 galleries from Greece and abroad. Visitors will encounter painting, sculpture, photography and digital art that capture the pulse of today’s artistic landscape.

Art Athina has established itself as a dynamic meeting point for artists, galleries, collectors and the public. It provides a platform for showcasing contemporary artistic practices, fostering dialogue between creators and audiences. It offers visitors the opportunity to encounter new artistic voices, discover established names and engage with diverse practices across contemporary art. Through exhibitions, talks, and special projects, the fair fosters dialogue, supports artistic growth, and strengthens connections within the creative community.

Art Athina goes beyond its core exhibition, offering a rich parallel program of design, live performances, projects and public talks with renowned international guests. By spotlighting new directions in art, the fair invites the public to engage with galleries’ presentations while connecting to the international currents shaping the contemporary scene.

The public is invited to explore the galleries’ proposals shaping the contemporary art scene, reaffirming the pivotal role of Art Athina as a platform for study, experience and promotion of contemporary art.

Art Athina 2025 Program includes the following sections:

Main

Art galleries from Greece and abroad present their proposals. 

Design

Galleries engaged in contemporary design with an emphasis on traditional techniques. This year’s spotlight is on glass—fragile yet resilient, transparent yet deep—inviting audiences to look into and beyond its surface.

Projects

Independent art spaces and non-profit cultural organizations present experimental and collective practices. This year’s theme focuses on rituals and practices of everyday life as a way to create social bonds and relationships.

Performance

Performance and dance intersect with photography and digital media in a dynamic program curated by Nikolas Vamvouklis for the second consecutive year. The initiative offers the public unique opportunities to engage in spaces of creative exchange and artistic dialogue. Highlights include:

• Konstantinos Rigos and the Ballet of the Greek National Opera present the explosive finale of Golden Age.
• Ari Seth Cohen, acclaimed photographer, author, and creator of Advanced Style, showcases a photography exhibition celebrating the elegance of older age.
• Angelos Papadopoulos premieres An UMBRA Story, a work exploring the realm of dreams.
• Collectif MASI stages Markets and Markets, a walking performance centered on marketplaces, architecture, and their protagonists.
• Despina Sanida-Krezia presents Such A Crybaby, exploring youth fan culture through sound, movement and voice.
• Katerina Zacharopoulou unveils Performance as Interview as Performance, creating a second dress from audience responses collected during a silent interview.

This year’s program invites audiences to experience the intersections of movement, visual media and participatory practices, highlighting both innovative approaches and the collaborative spirit of contemporary performance.

Editions

The Athens Art Book Fair, Greece’s first institution dedicated to artistic publishing, joins Art Athina 2025. This artist-run initiative promotes independent editions and presents a curated selection of publications.

Art for Tomorrow Talks Powered by TATOÏ Club

A new series of public discussions on contemporary art, moderated by The New York Times journalist Farah Nayeri, explores how collectors and supporters shape a more inclusive and adaptable cultural future. 

Kids’ Educational Program

Creative workshops in painting, architecture, mixed media and theater games. Little Athina, designed by KROMA, encourages children to explore the city through art. In collaboration with Life is For All, the program also welcomes children and teenagers with learning differences and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Awards and International Dimension

Art Athina emphasizes international exchange, inviting global art lovers to engage meaningfully with the Greek art scene. The presence of foreign journalists further strengthens its visibility abroad.

Now in its fourth year, the Art Athina Young Artist Award will be presented in collaboration with MOMus – Alex Mylona Museum. The award is open to visual artists up to 45 years old, based in Greece, who have held at least one solo exhibition and are nominated by their gallery.

Last year’s winner, Panos Profitis, presents his solo show La Bocca La Grotta at MOMus – Alex Mylona Museum (September 12 – November 30, 2025). The 2025 winner will be announced on Friday, September 19, at 18:00.

Art Athina 2025 participants are:

Main

a.antonopoulou.art, agathi kartalos, Alibi Gallery, Alma Gallery, Argo Gallery, Art Zone 42, ARTOWER

AGORA GALLERY, Artshot – Sophia Gaitani, Artworx, ASTROLAVOS art galleries, ATHANASIADOU

GALLERY, Batagianni Gallery, Callirrhoë, CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery, CITRONNE Gallery,

Crux Galerie, Cube Gallery, Depo Darm, Dio Horia, ekfrasi-yianna grammatopoulou, Eleftheria Tseliou

Gallery, Eleni Koroneou Gallery, EPsilon Art Gallery, Ersi Gallery, GALLERY13, Galleria Giampaolo

Abbondio (Italy), Gallery Art Prisma, George Benias Gallery, Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center,

Kalfayan Galleries, Kourd Gallery, Lola Nikolaou Gallery, LTEC Gallery/M.A.M.A CONTEMPORARY

(Cyprus), Marginalia Gallery (Cyprus), Mataroa Gallery, MAZI PROJECTS / Razem Pamoja Foundation

(Poland), Mets Arts Center, MIHALARIAS ART, Nil Gallery (France), Ninetto Gallery, Nitra Gallery,

Novembar Gallery (Serbia), PERITECHNON Karteris art gallery, Rebecca Camhi Gallery, Roma

Gallery, Shazar Gallery (Italy), Sianti Gallery, Skoufa Gallery, Spazio b5 (Italy), Sylvia Kouvali,

Technohoros art gallery, THE BREEDER, The Edit Gallery (Cyprus), Untiled Gallery / Soldout.Design

(Bulgaria), Wilhelmina’s, Zoumboulakis Galleries

Project spaces

Thermia Project

Cynefin Athens, CYPHER, keramikos23_artspace, MISC, Sealed Earth, space52, The Paddocks,

Design

ANTIQUA, Bombyx, Mouki Mou, Soutzoglou Carpets, Stefanidou Tsoukala Gallery, TAXIDI TINOS,

Serieye

By Dora Trogadi

The post Art Athina 2025: Art in Full Bloom appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

In this year’s original visual art production of the Naxos Festival, held at the Bazeos Tower, two distinguished artists, Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, present their work at an exhibition entitled “The thread that holds us together”, curated by Mario Vazaios and running until October 5. With parallel, long artistic journeys, yet maintaining artistic autonomy, they delve with dedication and knowledge into weaving and manual craftsmanship. (Cover photo: Yiannis Papadopoulos, “Athens-Naxos”, hand-woven linen string, natural dyes, Source: athensvoice.gr).

The Bazeos Tower dominates the land leading to the seacoast of Agiassos on the 12th Km of the main road linking the capital city of Naxos (Chora) with the inland, outside Sangri village. The tower dates back to the 17^th century. At first, it functioned as a monastery and was called monastery of the Holy Cross (“Timios Stavros”). By the end of the 19^th century, it was bought by the Bazeos family, whose descendants are the current owners. Since 2001, when the first renovation phase was completed, the monument remains open to the public through the Naxos Festival activities, one of the most significant summer cultural events of Cyclades. (Source: bazeostower.com)

Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, exhibition “The thread that holds us together” at Bazeos Tower. (Photo:  facebook.com/Bazeostower/posts)

Using various primary materials such as linen, cotton, and silk, and employing traditional techniques like weaving, natural dyes, and handmade paper production, the two artists, Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, create independent works and sculptural landscapes. They develop old and new in situ constructions within the spaces of the historic monument, highlighting the timelessness of craftsmanship and weaving tradition and their evolution into contemporary visual art and expression. Their creations harmoniously and complementarily intertwine with works and installations present within the tower. (Source: culturenow.gr).

Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos have shared the same art studio in Athens since 1978 and follow parallel paths. They studied at the Vakalo School of Art and the West Surrey College of Art and are founding members of the AFI group. They have both given seminars and lectures in various parts of the world, as well as numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at the Benaki Museum in Athens, the Foundation for Hellenic Culture in Berlin, and the Grand Curtius Museum in Liège. (Source: cycladesopen.gr Photo: lifo.gr)

Maria Grigoriou, “Sowing”, hand-woven white cotton, cotton cloth, resist dye, natural dyes indigo and walnut, acacia pods (left), “Indigo blues”, cotton, silk, wool (middle). Maria Grigoriou’s works are a daily recording of the same seascape, that constantly changing blue which contains Depth, Time, and Infinity. They bear the dark marks of Time, salt, and rust in an attempt to convey the emotion evoked by the landscape rather than the landscape itself. The process she follows to transcribe her recent daily experience into art is deeply experiential. (Source: culturenow.gr Instagram photos: maria_grigoriou_textiles)

Yiannis Papadopoulos, “Let’s twist”, “Test event”, handmade paper, rattan (left), “The tip of the thread”, hand-woven linen strings, handmade paper (right).  Yiannis Papadopoulos unravels the thread of Time and weaves his thoughts while rejecting all superfluous elements. Skillfully working with a simple linen twine, he dialectically shapes landscapes, ideally intertwining the works with the space, stirring and bringing the memory of the historic monument to the contemporary surface, offering a new and interesting perspective. (Source:  culturenow.gr, Instagram photos: maria_grigoriou_textiles)

The Naxos Festival started in 2001 with the aim to encourage the contact of local people and Naxos Island visitors with the diachronic and contemporary cultural artistic activity. Naxos Festival is nowadays a platform for intercultural meetings (Greek and from abroad) including art exhibitions, music, theatre, dance performances and many others cultural activities. The festival events take place from June to September mainly at Bazeos Tower, a 17^th century monument which predominantly overlooks the Naxian mainland, in an environment that encompasses and inspires both the events and the audience. (Source naxos.gr Photo: Naxos Festival facebook.com)

Naxos town (Chora) and the Kastro (Castle) district of the Old Town (Photo aegeanislands.gr)

Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands in Greece, is not only famed for its stunning beaches and ancient ruins but also for its remarkable medieval towers scattered across the island. These towers, built primarily during the Venetian occupation from the 13^th to the 16^th centuries, served as fortified strongholds and watchtowers to protect local communities from pirate raids and invasions. Constructed from local stone, their robust and imposing structures reflect the strategic importance of Naxos as a maritime and trading hub in the Aegean Sea. Today about 30 towers are preserved in the countryside of the island, offering a glimpse into the turbulent medieval past and enriching its cultural and architectural heritage. Visitors to Naxos can explore these historic monuments, which blend seamlessly into the island’s landscape, serving as silent witnesses to centuries of history. The following are some of the best-preserved examples of medieval architectural gems on Naxos.

Inside the old city of Naxos Kastro, narrow alleys lead to noble mansions, flowered courtyards, and centuries of history. The Della Rocca Barozzi Tower is now a museum of Venetian and folk heritage, and the nearby Tower of Crispi, is the last of Kastro’s original twelve towers. At the center lies the Catholic Cathedral, with its family crests and a rare double-sided icon of the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Behind it stands the older Orthodox Church of Panagia Theoskepasti. Nearby, the Capuchin Monastery features noble coats of arms and impressive icons. The Archaeological Museum, once attended by author Nikos Kazantzakis, hosts artifacts from the Neolithic to Christian eras. Across from the museum, the Ursuline School and Monastery were a former famous girls' school (Source: naxos.gr Photo: kastra.eu)

Fragopoulos Della Rocca Toweris one of the island’s oldest fortifiedtowers, dating back to the 14^th century and is found inKourounochori village. (Source: naxos.gr )

Zevgoli Tower, a two-storey Venetian-era stone structure that has been renovated and is now inhabited, is located close to the center of Apiranthos village.(Source naxos.gr)

Oskelos Tower located by the seaside road close to Kastraki is one of Naxos’s few towers built close to the sea. It dates back to the 17^th century and is distinguished by its considerable height and its strong defensive character. Offering an exceptional view towards Paros and Ios, the Oskelos tower is open to visitors. (naxos.gr)  

The tower of Ypsili, or tower of Ypsilotera, or monastery of Ypsilotera, was once a fortified monastery; the katholikon and the impressive frescoe, the towers, the murder holes etc are still preserved. The monastery was a revolution centre at the time of Naxos people uprisings against the oppression of Latin nobles. (Photo: aegeanislands.gr)

Barozzi Tower at the heart of Filoti village, is an imposing structure dating back to 1650, when Naxos was ruled by a Venetian duke of the same name. (naxos.gr)

The Markopolitis Tower has strong defensive walls and a drawbridge and is located at the entrance of Akadimi village. It holds a special place in Naxos history. Built in the late 18^th century for the House of Politis, it served as a bastion of the revolts against Frankish feudal lords in the Tragea valley. (naxos.gr)

The 17^th century Barozzi-Gratsia Tower in Chalki village, comes in three levels, with strong walls, iron-barred windows, heavy wooden gates, wooden drawbridge, murder hole to thwart attackers with scalding water and coats of arms that indicate its successive owners and repairs. (Source: naxos.gr)

The impressive Kokkos Tower at Potamia village was built by the same-name Greek Orthodox family in the 17^th century. The remains of a watermill are seen in the basement. Tradition has it that the Kokkos tower was the scene of a love story similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, involving two young members of the respective families. (Source: naxos.gr   Photo: allovergreece.com )

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Yiannis Bouteas’s exhibition, "Stratifications – Transformations," is currently running at the Archaeological Museum of the Saronic island of Poros. The exhibition is co-organized by CITRONNE Gallery in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands. Art historian Dr. Tatiana Spinari-Pollali and archaeologist Dr. Maria Giannopoulou co-curate the exhibition. CITRONNE Gallery is also presenting Yiannis Adamakos’s solo exhibition "In Between" (both exhibitions run until September 21). It’s a great opportunity to visit Poros, the greenest island of the Argosaronic Gulf. Its beauty has been celebrated by artists, poets and writers alike. The town of Poros is known for its charming neoclassical buildings (cover photo, visitgreece.gr), while pine forests blanket the island’s hills, reaching all the way down to its sandy beaches.

"Stratifications – Transformations" is an exhibition that focuses on the concept of timelessness, as it is conceived and expressed through the power of contemporary art. Bouteas's objects-symbols, coming directly from everyday life, start a dialogue with the ancient objects of the archaeological museum, and may initially surprise the visitor. A man of antiquity would probably feel a similar surprise if he saw his personal objects in the museum displays today, accompanied by scientific theories and (mis)interpretations. (Source: citronne.com/en) (Photo Credit: Installation view, ©Yiorgos_Brousalis)

The artist challenges the commonly accepted perception of time as a linear unfolding reality and creates his own timeless Museum. Fragmented, oversized digital prints of images depicting ancient sculptures are juxtaposed with archaeological artifacts, serving as a hyper-analyzed and distorted representation of our past. Utilitarian objects from everyday life—both from the present and the recent past—are combined with natural rocks and geological strata, all wrapped in images of artworks. These elements form a composition of contrasting symbols, each carrying its own distinct charge, all grounded in a visual aesthetic framework. Serving as a threshold for all of this is a barcode motif—an allusion to the inescapable digital reality that now dominates every aspect of our lives. (Source: culturenow.gr) (Photo Credit: Installation view, ©Yiorgos_Brousalis)

Bouteas's installation ultimately seems like an unexpected preview of an archaeological museum of the - perhaps not so distant - future. (Photo Credit: Installation view, ©Yiorgos_Brousalis)

Citronne Gallery Poros, housed in an 18^th century austere example of island architecture on the promenade of Poros, opened in the summer of 2006. The name of the gallery refers to the well known lemon grove of Poros. Α determining element to Citronne’s identity deriνes from its location. Poros is an atypical island with a transitory nature. Α Saronic island in close distance to Athens, its proximity and economic and social interaction to the Peloponnesian coast across it, and its large and inviting natural harbor, make Poros, as its name suggests, a ‘passage’. Citronne aspires to be a ‘passage’: a destination, a focal point, a place for assembly and exchange of ideas. Citronne Gallery Athens, which commenced its activity in November 2018, continues—and widens—the endeavor begun in Poros.

Yiannis Bouteas at the Archaeological Museum of Poros, ©Yiorgos_Brousalis (left). “Untitled”, 1974-80, installation including rope, neon and iron, Collection National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMST). Exhibition ANTIDORON, The EMST Collection, Fridericianum, Kassel, 2017, photo Nils Klinger

Yiannis Bouteas represented Greece at the Greek Pavilion during the 44^th  Venice Biennale in 1990, alongside Georges Lappas, with Manos Stefanidis serving as commissioner. Bouteas exhibited works from the “Anaptygmata” (“Developments” or “Unfoldings”) series and the “Tomes” (“Sections” or “Cuts”) series. Materials used in these works included sheet metal, iron, stones, and neon light. These works reflected Bouteas’s interest in form, materiality, modularity, and spatial dynamics. The use of industrial and geological materials, alongside the luminous element of neon, aligned with his broader sculptural and conceptual exploration.

Yiannis Bouteas (Kalamata, 1941) studied printmaking at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1959-64) and continued his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1966-70), where he lived for ten years. His work includes constructions and installations, with light – whether natural or artificial – serving as his primary expressive medium, often in the form of neon tubes. The poor materials he selects (ropes, strings, stones, iron sheets, playdough, rubber, asphalt, and later mirrors), retain their autonomous expressive and conceptual power while becoming part of a larger artistic gesture. His compositions are typically spread across the floor or walls. Bouteas participated in the art group Processes-Systems (1976) and has presented his work in numerous solo exhibitions. He represented Greece at the São Paulo Biennale (1981), the Venice Biennale (1990), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). In 2007, he created the work Layerings-Energy Images XVI for the Kerameikos station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

CITRONNE Gallery - Poros also presents Yiannis Adamakos’s solo exhibition "In Between"( June 14 - September 21, 2025). One of the most distinguished figures in abstract Greek painting, Yiannis Adamakos creates indeterminate landscapes—reflections of a sensory world refracted through memory. He is deeply engaged in exploring the boundaries between explosion and calmness, light and darkness, spontaneity and order. He is particularly concerned with the rendering of emptiness, as a space imbued with richness of meaning and sensation. (Photo: Yiannis Adamakos, In Between 16, 2025, Mixed media, 32x42 cm, ©Vagelis_Zavos)

The Archaeological Museum of Poros was built in 1967-1968 at the site of the old residence of Alexandros Koryzis (Prime Minister of Greece in 1941)( feft). There are two exhibition galleries in the Museum, one on the ground and one on the upper floor, hosting exhibits from the entire Troezenian region (Poros, Galatas, Troezen-homeland of the Athenian hero Theseus, Methana and other areas) as well as some finds from older excavations at Hermione. A 6^th c. BC clay sima from the sanctuary of Aphrodite Akraia at Troezen is particularly impressive, given that it preserves its painted decoration and a lion-head spout (right).

Poros is the greenest island of the Argosaronic Gulf. The Poros Strait, and the seaside area of Galata with its pine, olive, and lemon groves surround the picturesque Poros town, where beautiful neoclassical buildings grace the seafront. The visitor can also explore the inland; go biking and hiking through Poros’ pinewoods. (Source: visitgreece.gr)

Poros town and the harbour area have been built on the hillside, opposite the shores of Troezenia. The town’s picturesque alleys, Neorio, and Bourtzi Islet are some of the must-visit places on the island. The visitor is impressed by the neoclassical style of most buildings. The clock tower of Poros is the island’s landmark, located on the hilltop, and surrounded by prickly pear trees and pine trees. This spot offers an amazing view of the harbour, the shores of the Peloponnese, and the lemon tree forest. (Photo: visitgreece.gr)

At the Red House (Villa Galini), the imposing stone mansion built in 1892 by architect Anastasios Metaxas (the architect who restored the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens) on the coast between Poros and Galatas, prominent figures were hosted during the summers—among them Eleftherios Venizelos (Greek statesman and prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movement) in 1931. Many famous artists, poets, and writers were hosted at Villa Galini. Among them George Horton, Marc Chagall, Henry Miller, Greta Garbo, James Merrill, and Peter Gray, Lucian Freud  enjoyed the solitude and the stillness of the site enchanted by the unique light of Poros and found inspiration in the beauty of the landscape. (Source: visitporos.com)

The great Greek poet George Seferis (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1963) lived in Galini from 1946 to 1949. “Galini, that Victorian house, Pompeian red, gave me for the first time after many years the feeling of a solid home, not a temporary camp: that makeshift stuff I had grown used to thinking was no longer built,” the poet writes in a letter included in his Essays (1962). At Galini, he also wrote the poem “Kichli” (1946), borrowing its title from the small boat that used to anchor in front of the romantic house.

Κίχλη Γ’ (Thrush)

…

Sing little Antigone, sing, O sing. . .

I’m not speaking to you about things past, I’m speaking about love;

adorn your hair with the sun’s thorns,

dark girl;

the heart of the Scorpion has set,

the tyrant in man has fled,

and all the daughters of the sea, Nereids, Graeae,

hurry toward the shimmering of the rising goddess:

whoever has never loved will love,

in the light;

                      and you find yourself

in a large house with many windows open

running from room to room, not knowing from where to look out first,

because the pine trees will vanish, and the mirrored mountains, and the chirping of birds

the sea will empty, shattered glass, from north and south

your eyes will empty of the light of day

the way the cicadas all together suddenly fall silent.

                                          Poros, ‘Galini’, 31 October 1946

Copyright Credit: George Seferis, "’Thrush’" from Collected Poems ( (Princeton University Press, 1995), translated, edited, and introduced by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. (Source: poetryfoundation.org )

Poros is the ideal destination for water sports and outdoor activities such as swimming. Don’t miss the beautiful beaches at Mikro Neorio and Megalo Neorio, as well as the romantic ‘Cove of Love’. Go diving in the crystal clear waters or sailing around the nearby islands and along the coast of the Peloponnese. For those who enjoy inland adventures, Poros also offers great opportunities for biking and hiking through its scenic pine forests.

Love Bay is a beautiful small bay surrounded by trees, which will captivate the visitor’s mind and heart (Source: visitporos.com)

The Russian Bay is a beautiful and picturesque bay, which is classified as a historical monument, because of its great architectural and historical interest. The old Russian Naval Dockyard is located there, at 5km NW of the town and the harbour. The original structures included warehouses and bakeries built to provide for the needs of the Russian Fleet stationed there back in 1834.Today it is a beach where unforgettable summer concerts take place every year. (Source: visitporos.com)

Read more:

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6- “From Sculpture to Energy”

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