This summer, Athens becomes a vibrant outdoor art gallery - showcasing free, accessible cultural experiences.
Athens city center transforms each evening with large-scale light art installations, turning streets around the Acropolis into an urban, illuminated art walk. Featuring works by both Greek and international artists using static, kinetic, and digital light media, it's a spectacular sensory experience. Perfect for a twilight stroll after dinner near Plaka.
On display at the Epigraphic Museum Garden through July 15 (some pieces remain visible into late July), Eleni Papaioannou's text-based installation blends natural landscape with provocative quotes displayed without context - inviting reflection in the heart of the museum's green space (Travel + Leisure). Ideal for a mid-afternoon cultural pause during a museum tour.
Open June 12 to September 13, this collaborative exhibition from the Deste Foundation and New Museum brings 29 contemporary Greek and Cypriot artists together. Their works explore ecological futures, tech-nature dialogue, and community themes. Many sculptures and installations extend into the museum's courtyard, inviting fresh air and unexpected viewpoints.
Throughout July-August, Onassis Foundation opens its space for contemporary art installations and performances, such as Margarita Pita's VR-informed performance Dreamwalk, Carol Sansour's bilingual visual poetry, and interactive audiovisual pieces . These appear outdoors or in semi-open galleries - ideal for evening visits in Kallithea.
Athens-based artist Maria Zervos welcomes guests to explore her central studio and video-sculpture works like Nomadology (The Desert) - a blend of moving images, performance diagnostics, and sculptural video. Appointment required; her practice provokes deep reflection on ecology and memory.
