- By Christina Kousounis
From September 18 to 22, Zappeion puts on its… artistic clothes and welcomes Art Athina 2025. The annual contemporary art event returns, transforming Athens into a meeting point for artists, galleries and art lovers from all over the world.
More than 70 galleries from Greece and abroad will present works ranging from painting and sculpture to photography and digital art, capturing the most current trends on the international scene. Alongside the exhibition core, a rich parallel program gives the pulse: design inspired by glass and traditional techniques, projects with an experimental character, performances that go beyond the limits of spectacle and public discussions with personalities from Greece and abroad.
Of particular interest is the new Art for Tomorrow Talks series, where names such as Vincenzo de Bellis, Afroditi Panagiotakou and Wim Pijbes will open the dialogue on how art can become more inclusive and flexible in the future.
Performances will also be in the spotlight, with Konstantinos Rigos and the Greek National Opera Ballet presenting excerpts from the explosive Golden Age. Photographer and writer Ari Seth Kohen, known from the Advanced Style project, comes for a special exhibition with his muse Judith Boyd, inviting the audience to a dialogue on the elegance of old age. At the same time, choreographer Angelos Papadopoulos leads the audience to the territory of dreams with An UMBRA Story, while Collectif MASI brings to Zappeion a walking performance that “marries” the flea market with architecture, this is a real challenge.
In the projects, curated by Odette Kouzou, independent art spaces propose new ways of collective expression, with an emphasis on the rituals of everyday life. The Design section, curated by Tina Daskalantonaki and Manthos Kaloumenos, this year turns its attention to glass, a material that is both fragile and durable, transparent and full of depth, which becomes an occasion for contemporary creations.
A special place is also occupied by the Athens Art Book Fair, the first venture in Greece dedicated to artistic publications, as well as the children’s program “Little Athina”, which this year includes workshops for children with learning disabilities, offering a truly inclusive experience.
The president of the Panhellenic Association of Art Galleries, Yianna Grammatopoulou, speaking to Tornos News, underlines: “The 72 galleries from Greece and abroad, which are the backbone of the exhibition, highlight the main trends of contemporary visual creation. At the same time, the rich program offers the public projects, design, Talks, the Athens Art Book Fair, the Young Artist Award and events for children.”
Art Athina is not just an exhibition, it is an experience. It is the feeling that you are walking through Zappeion and each room reveals a different aspect of contemporary creation. From meetings with young artists to the established award that gives a platform to new generations, the organization reminds us why Athens has earned its own place on the international visual art map.
