Greece's Art Scene: Pre-Crisis Foundations and Post-2008 Resilience
In her 2012 article for Afterall, Sara Kuhnt highlights that Greece's artistic landscape, which has been evolving since the mid-1990s, is not merely a result of crisis. The limited governmental support prior to this period allowed private galleries to thrive, leading to a notable increase in openings from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. The DESTE Foundation, founded in 1983, significantly contributed with its 1996 exhibition and the DESTE Prize in 1999. Although public institutions like EMST and SMCA were established in 1997, their growth was gradual. By 2007, Art Athina was revived, and two biennials were initiated. Independent venues such as Dynamo Project Space, which opened in 2009, often relied on self-funding. Since 2008, commercial galleries have decreased their participation in fairs, while economic policies pose risks to private investment and the migration of art professionals.
Key facts
- State support for contemporary art in Greece was minimal until the mid-1990s.
- Private galleries were the primary drivers of the art scene before the mid-1990s.
- The DESTE Foundation held the influential exhibition 'Everything That's Interesting Is New' in Athens in 1996.
- EMST and SMCA were founded in 1997 but were slow to develop.
- Art Athina was relaunched in 2007 after being discontinued in 2006.
- The Athens Biennale and Thessaloniki Biennale both started in 2007.
- The Breeder gallery participated in Art Basel in 2010 but only LISTE in 2012.
- The third Athens Biennale in 2011 focused on local artists and discursive events.
Entities
Artists
- Sara Kuhnt
- Dakis Joannou
- Adelina von Fürstenberg
- Efi Strousa
- Iasson Tsakonas
- Georgakopoulos brothers
- Loraini Alimantiri Gazonrouge
Institutions
- Afterall
- National Art Gallery (Greece)
- National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST)
- State Museum of Contemporary Art (SMCA)
- DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art
- Desmos gallery
- Art Athina
- Hellenic Art Galleries Association (PSAT)
- Athens Biennale
- XYZ (curatorial collective)
- Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art
- Filopappou Group
- Locus Athens
- Dynamo Project Space
- Kunsthalle Athena
- Oliaros
- cheapart
- TAF – The Art Foundation
- CAMP – Contemporary Art Meeting Point
- The Breeder
- LISTE
- Art Basel
- ReMap KM
- Open Show Studio
- Salon de Vortex
- Vital Space
- Frown Tails
- Beton 7
- Under Construction
- Lo and Behold
- QW3RTY
- Daily Laizy Projects
- Local Folk (magazine)
- a (magazine)
Locations
- Athens
- Greece
- Thessaloniki
- Kerameikos
- Metaxourgeio
- Athens Metaxourgeio district
- Filopappou Hill
- Geneva
- Switzerland
- Great Britain
- Europe
- United States
Sources
- Afterall —