International. This week’s exhibition recommendations in Athens, 13-19.10
One of the most intriguing aspects of contemporary Greek and Athenian culture is the fact that much of its funding comes from private foundations rather than public support. This isn’t entirely surprising given Greece’s history and the economic crises it continues to face. Nevertheless, the establishment of private foundations by families using their own wealth to support the arts on such a broad and high level is noteworthy. Moreover, this phenomenon has enabled Athens to import some of the most prominent and compelling names in global art, bringing the city into the international contemporary art scene.
This week’s exhibitions may not directly address the issue of globalization, but they certainly showcase Athens as a fascinating place to experience contemporary art—both local and international. They highlight the city’s unique position at the intersection of the old and the new.
Wishing you a wonderful week,
filled with powerful, inspiring art.
Shani Werner & the ATHENS ART TOURS Team
You are Invited, solo exhibition by Juergen Teller
Onassis Ready, Strati Tsirka 2, Agios Ioannis Rentis, Athens
19.10.25–30.12.25. Tickets: 5-10 € (full/reduced)
The Onassis Foundation is a leading force in supporting culture and the arts in Greece, particularly in Athens. It oversees numerous projects and art spaces presented with dedication to the public. Now, the Foundation unveils a new art venue, Onassis Ready, located in a repurposed plastic factory in the industrial area of Agios Ioannis Rentis, Athens. The space has been transformed to serve as a platform for experimental art, boundary-pushing projects, and more.
The inaugural exhibition at this venue features German artist Juergen Teller, renowned for his unique blend of fashion photography with personal and experimental images—all at the highest level contemporary photography has to offer. This retrospective exhibition similarly mixes different types of photography from various periods in the artist’s significant career. Displayed side by side will be celebrity portraits, fashion photography, images from his personal and family archives, as well as documentary photographs from projects he has participated in, such as photographing the Pope during his visit to the previous Venice Biennale or a special project marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
More info here
All Aboard. Group exhibition
Express Facility, Athens International Airport, Eleftherios Venizelos
9.10.25 – 9.11.25, Free admission (with ID, passport, or driving license)
In Athens and have a free hour at the airport?
Don’t spend it at the duty-free — step into all aboard, a contemporary art exhibition inside Athens International Airport.
Curated by Kostas Prapoglou, known for transforming unconventional spaces — including the hit show in the abandoned Esperia Palace Hotel — all aboard turns the airport’s Express Facility into a space of reflection on travel, passage, and identity.
Featuring works by 40 Greek and international artists — from Olafur Eliasson and Francesca Woodman to leading voices of the local scene — the exhibition invites you to experience art in transit, where the journey itself becomes the destination
Notice: A free shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes from the airport’s main terminal to the exhibition and back, so you can easily visit between flights.
More info here
Two new exhibitions at B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music, 1 Vassilissis Sofias Avenue
25.9-27.11
Geometric Abstraction, group exhibition curated by: Yannis Bollis
Sacred or Monsters group exhibition curated by: Ioanna Gerakidi
Earlier, we noted that this week’s recommended exhibitions explore issues of globality, presenting Athens as a compelling stage for contemporary international art and fostering encounters between local and international artists. Naturally, these shows also raise questions about identity in the global era—one of today’s most urgent topics.
The Theo-Harakis Foundation for the Arts and Music is generally a conservative venue, known mainly for retrospective solo exhibitions of established Greek artists. So it was somewhat surprising to see two exhibitions opening there that depart from their usual program.
Geometric Abstraction brings together six women artists from the Arab world, all working in geometric painting. The show highlights pioneering voices in a field with a rich and significant history, spanning from modernism to the present. Yet the geometric focus is not merely formal; it also reflects aesthetics rooted in faith and Islamic heritage.
Alongside it, a group exhibition of Greek artists directly engages with questions of identity and otherness in today’s world.
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