An exciting season for art aficionados

Phyllida Barlow, ‘RIG: untitled; blocks.’ The sculptural installation is on show at the National Museum for Contemporary Art. [Paris Tavitian]

From big group shows at the country’s top institutions to fascinating solo exhibitions at the city’s galleries and art spaces, this is a great time to plan a visual arts-hopping tour of Athens.

One of the biggest exhibitions of the season, “Democracy,” runs at the National Gallery until February 2, 2025, and brings together more than 55 artists and groups in an exploration of how art responded to milestones in Southern Europe’s political history.

The year’s biggest show, at National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), meanwhile, is gradually drawing to a close after featuring multiple artists over several months, all pondering the question: What if women ruled the world? Highlights today include the sculptural installation by Phyllida Barlow, on show until October 27, and a retrospective on Penny Siopis, a Greek from South Africa, at the first basement level through November 10.

The third big group show that opened recently but is also coming down soon (on October 20) attracted a very lively audience, since it also included a program of activities for the general public.

‘Henry Moore and Greece’ at the Gagosian in Kolonaki (through October 26) features sculptures and drawings that reveal the influence of ancient Greek art on the renowned British artist’s work

Hosted at the National Theater’s School of Dramatic Arts on downtown Pireos Street, “Space of Togetherness” brings together groups and foreign artists in a show designed to resemble a museum exhibition and present a comprehensive narrative.

A space outside the city center but distinguished for its vibe, the Nobel venue in the northern suburb of Halandri, presents “The Collective Purr,” until November 24. Influenced by the poetry of astrophysics, by non-conformism and hyperrealism, it throws together Greek and foreign artists in a most unlikely – yet eminently successful – way, in what curator Nadja Argyropoulou describes as “temporary anarchy.”

Kathimerini also understands that the Theocharakis Foundation is preparing a very interesting show curated by Takis Mavrotas and Panos Giannikopoulos that is slated to open on November 20 and run through February 16, 2025.

Featuring pieces by emblematic Greek artists Chryssa, Stephen Antonakos and Yiannis Bouteas, it seeks to examine how the artists use the element of light, literally and figuratively.

There are also a couple of gems on the capital’s vibrant gallery scene that should not be missed: “Henry Moore and Greece” at the Gagosian in Kolonaki (through October 26) features sculptures and drawings that reveal the influence of ancient Greek art on the renowned British artist’s work; and “Observations of Some Forgotten Things,” running through November 16 at the Sylvia Kouvali gallery in the port city of Piraeus, where Armenian-Egyptian artist Anna Boghiguian shows us what it is to be fabulous, independent and political at the age of 78.

Another show to jot down on your calendar – and not just because the California-based Greek artist shows work here only occasionally but mainly because his work is as humorous as ever even when he’s feeling blue – is a retrospective on Konstantinos Kakanias, titled “Divine Persοnality Disorder” (23/10-21/12) and hosted at the downtown Athens gallery of his close friend, Rebecca Camhi.

For more insight on the evolution of the Greek art scene, check out “Until You Come Back. Geographies and Temporalities of Waiting,” from the Sotiris Felios Collection, on show at 16 Fokionos Negri in Kypseli until October 26. The group show brings together 30 pieces on the themes of travel and expectation.

There’s also “Primary Time,” with work by Stefania Strouza, recipient of the Art Athina 2023 prize for new artist, at the Alex Mylonas Museum; Aliki Palaskas’ “Waltzing Matilda” sculpture series at the Zoumboulakis Gallery in Kolonaki Square; the emotive “inner landscapes” of Marianna Trontsiou in “Still Life” at the Athens Art Gallery; Maria Giannakis’ “Beauty” at the Skoufa Gallery; and Dimitris Trikas’ “Materialities and Glances” at Potential Project.