This is Athens City Festival

Constantine Xenakis – Dimitris Chiotopoulos: Writing and Trace Two Journeys into the Labyrinth
2026-05-20 11:30 - 14:30, 2026-05-20 17:30 - 20:30, 2026-05-21 11:30 - 14:30 (Europe/Athens) | Gallery Ersi, Kleomenous 4, Athens, Athens, 106 75, Greece
Ersi Gallery hosts a deep and unexpectedly poetic dialogue between two masters of the symbolic: Constantine Xenakis and Dimitris Chiotopoulos.

Writing and Trace explores the moment when a mark, a symbol, or a simple gesture transcends its everyday use to become a language of its own. Dense with meaning and open to endless interpretation. The internationally acclaimed Xenakis employs codes, hieroglyphs, and signals from modern communication to offer a sharp commentary on how meaning is constructed in our digital age. In contrast, Chiotopoulos brings a more interior, tactile search to the gallery, weaving in archetypal shapes and calligraphy elements.

Together, they transform the “Labyrinth” into a space of discovery. This isn’t just an exhibition; it’s an invitation to stroll through a maze of signs and silences, losing yourself in the traces of culture only to find your own way back.

Andreas Spiliotopoulos: Heroes of Today
2026-05-20 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-20 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-21 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-21 17:00 - 20:00 | Astrolavos Art Gallery, 11 Xanthippou, Kolonaki, 106 75, Greece
Astrolavos Art Gallery presents the solo painting exhibition of Andreas Spiliotopoulos, titled “Heroes of Today”—a body of work that brings classical art into a direct dialogue with contemporary pop culture. Drawing influence from the allegorical and monumental traditions of painting, as well as the kinetic energy and narrative drive of comic books, the artist creates dense, multi-layered compositions teeming with parallel action.

On his canvases, joy coexists with fear, irony with drama, and the mundane with the hyperbolic. These modern-day “heroes” are not supernatural figures, but characters of contemporary life navigating fragility, intensity, and humour. The exhibition offers a vivid and penetrating look at our world, suggesting that the comic and the tragic are, ultimately, two sides of the same narrative coin.

Vera Stavrinadi: Pop-Up Frequencies
2026-05-20 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-20 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-21 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-21 17:00 - 20:00 | Astrolavos Art Gallery, 11 Xanthippou, Kolonaki, 106 75, Greece
Astrolavos Art Gallery hosts “Pop-Up Frequencies”, a striking sculptural intervention by Vera Stavrinadi that occupies the gallery space with undeniable presence and style. Monumental sculptures in the form of contemporary totems alternate with smaller floor and wall-mounted pieces, all bathed in the vibrant, fluorescent hues of pop culture and comic- book aesthetics.

With a sarcastic yet playful approach that draws on the world of children’s toys, the artist opens a fragmented dialogue regarding the values of modern society. By casting a critical eye on consumerist tropes and contemporary superficiality, Stavrinadi successfully marries a sharp perspective with an irresistibly joyful dimension. This experience invites us to view the “idols” of our everyday lives through a new, luminous, and subversive frequency.

Inna Orlik: The Permanent Collection
2026-05-20 12:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-21 12:00 - 18:00 | Orlik Gallery, 3 Palaiologou Benizelou, Athens, 105 56, Greece
Orlik Gallery invites the This is Athens City Festival audience to a distinctive encounter with the visual universe of Inna Orlik. This exhibition brings to the fore a world where contemporary painting enters into a dialogue with mythology, nature, and the human experience, creating an environment rich in symbolism and layers of interpretation.

Defined by bold colours, complex textures, and a singular painterly language, Orlik’s works move between the visible and the suggestive, the personal and the collective. The artist transforms the canvas into a space for narrative and exploration, inviting the viewer to discover forms, symbols, and underlying connections. It is an exhibition tailored for those seeking not only aesthetic intensity in contemporary art but also a substantial, resonant depth.

Alexandros Georgiou
2026-05-20 12:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-21 12:00 - 18:00 | Rebecca Camhi Gallery, 9 Leonidou, Metaxourgio, 104 37, Greece
The Rebecca Camhi Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Alexandros Georgiou. Spanning over three decades of work from 1993 to 2026, the exhibition offers a profound, multi-layered look at the artist’s trajectory through oils and works on paper that reveal the evolution of his technique, themes, and internal search.

Georgiou introduces us to a personal, introspective world where memory, travel, and the metaphysical coexist with potent symbolism and a characteristic fluidity of line. His enigmatic figures and landscapes appear to hover outside of time, inviting the viewer on a quiet yet deep internal journey. This is a rare opportunity to engage with the work of an artist who moves with great sensitivity between the human and the transcendent.

Marilia Fotopoulou: Iconostases
2026-05-20 12:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-21 15:00 - 20:00 | Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre, 48 Armatolon-Klefton, Athens, 114 71, Greece
The Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre presents “Iconostases”, a solo exhibition by Marilia Fotopoulou. This visual proposition turns its gaze toward a subject that is deeply familiar yet often bypassed in our daily lives: the roadside shrines encountered across the Greek landscape. The artist approaches these small, metallic markers of memory and faith not merely as elements of the scenery, but as vessels for personal histories, collective sensitivity, and profound cultural continuity.

Using the language of contemporary fine-art photography, the exhibition illuminates the relationship between the individual and the road, exploring themes of loss, memory, and the urban environment. Fotopoulou’s works do not simply document a characteristic Greek sight; they transform it into a field of observation and reflection. This is a show that invites us to look again at what we pass by every day, discovering within these shrines a unique weight of emotion, tradition, and silent witness. The exhibition works well the Eugenia Grigoraki’s exhibition, also on view at the gallery, giving you a broader perspective on this distinctive symbol of the Greek landscape.

Evgenia Grigoraki: Roadside Shrines
2026-05-20 12:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-21 15:00 - 20:00 | Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre, 48 Armatolon-Klefton, Athens, 114 71, Greece
The Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre presents a solo exhibition by Evgenia Grigoraki titled “Roadside Shrines”, a photographic series focusing on a familiar yet often overlooked element of the Greek landscape. Through a personal and direct lens, the artist approaches these shrines not merely as markers of memory and faith, but as small, paradoxical presences that persist in inhabiting public spaces—alongside roads, around bends, and throughout our daily commutes.

The strength of the exhibition lies in this experiential, almost tender observation. Under Grigoraki’s gaze, these shrines are transformed into objects of artistic exploration, highlighting their enduring stability and the specific meaning they continue to hold within Greek society. It is an exhibition that bridges the everyday gaze with folk tradition, inviting us to pause once more before one of the most characteristic and poignant sights of the Greek roadside. Presented alongside Marilia Fotopoulou’s exhibition, the show will offer you the chance to explore two different yet complementary photographic interpretations of the same subject.

Children & the Bee
2026-05-20 14:00 - 18:00 | National Garden, Vas. Amalias 1, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
In celebration of World Bee Day, the National Garden bursts into life, colour, and youthful imagination with a special event dedicated to nature, care, and the power of small wonders. The area beside the children’s playground transforms into a dreamlike apiary landscape, ready to welcome children and parents for an evening filled with warmth, play, and plenty of sweetness. Children can see and touch honeycombs with their own hands, dress up as beekeepers in protective suits, and learn about the bees’ home—the hive—as well as the smoker tool.

The star of the evening is Chrysanthi, the brave little bee from the new children’s book by Lazaros Karaoulis, CEO of the City of Athens IT and Municipal Operational Units agency, titled “Chrysanthi: The Little Bee That Brought the Spring.” This tender story serves as a wonderful starting point for a conversation about nature, the vital importance of bees, and the immense impact even the smallest creature can have when acting with courage and love.

Meeting Point: Beside the National Garden Children’s Playground.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Dr. Yiannis N. Tzortzis: Greenland
2026-05-20 14:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-21 14:00 - 20:00 | a.antonopoulou.art Gallery, 20 Aristofanous, Athens, 105 54, Greece
The gallery a.antonopoulou.art hosts the solo photography exhibition “Greenland” by Dr. Yiannis N. Tzortzis, a body of work that seamlessly merges artistic sensitivity with a sharp environmental consciousness. Through his lens, the frozen landscapes of the North are revealed in all their rare beauty and profound fragility, opening an essential dialogue on the climate crisis and the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. Here, the image transcends simple documentation; it becomes a catalyst for reflection.

The exhibition carries significant weight as it highlights the delicate balance between natural heritage, the geopolitical importance of resources, and our collective responsibility toward the environment. Viewers are invited to perceive Greenland not merely as a site of immense aesthetic power, but as one of the most critical frontiers for contemplating the planet’s present and future. This is a multi-layered experience with a clear ecological and contemporary footprint.

Demosthenes Agrafiotis: "Xαrtιά" [Crossroads & Junctions] 1975–2025
2026-05-20 17:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-21 12:00 - 20:00 | Art Project Space, 66 Falirou, Athens, 117 41, Greece
At Art Project Space, the exhibition “Xαrtιά” [Crossroads & Junctions] 1975–2025 carries both a retrospective and emotional resonance. Originally conceived by Demosthenes Agrafiotis himself for late 2025, his sudden passing has transformed this presentation into a vital tribute to the expansive work and thought of a true pioneer in Greek experimental art and poetry.

Spanning five decades of creation, the exhibition invites the public to navigate the “crossroads” where Agrafiotis’s writing, imagery, and theoretical enquiries met. It is a rare opportunity to trace the evolution of a mind that saw art as a constant state of transition and experimentation.

Alongside the retrospective, the exhibition presents his final creation: the artist’s book “Synoda” (Accompaniments), released in a limited, numbered edition of just 40 unique copies. This is more than an exhibition; it is a final, precious dialogue with an artist who thought of art as a field for experimentation, deep enquiry, and a state of constant transition.

Algerian Cultural Days
2026-05-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Klafthmonos Square, Klaftmonos Square, Athens, Athens, 105 61, Greece
For two days, Klafthmonos Square transforms into a vibrant crossroads of heritage, as the Embassy of Algeria and the This is Athens City Festival invite us to experience the immense cultural wealth of Africa’s largest country. The heart of Athens will be filled with the sights, scents, and sounds of a tradition that is as deep and complex as it is vividly alive.

Visitors will have the chance to wander through an impressive cultural showcase featuring authentic handicrafts, exquisite Berber jewellery, and traditional attire. The air will be thick with the aromas of Algerian cuisine, where spices and local delicacies take centre stage. The two-day programme is rounded off with traditional music and dance, alongside the “Study in Algeria” platform—an initiative fostering dialogue around education and research.

This is an open invitation to discover Algeria through its legendary hospitality, its rhythms, and its enduring traditions.

Dimitra Siaterli: Cohesive Networks
2026-05-21 11:00 - 19:00 | The City of Athens Gallery, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Athens, 104 36, Greece
This solo exhibition by Dimitra Siaterli is presented as a fascinating journey connecting the artist’s past and present. Spanning from the 1980s and 90s right through to her brand-new productions, the exhibition unfolds in three sections that feel like acts in a play. Visitors will wander through a world of strange minerals, fossils, and mythical creatures, eventually arriving at an “anatomy” of the human form through striking sculptures, meshes, and engravings. Tiny human figures seem to leap out from labyrinths and processions, creating a playful tension between myth and reality. This is an experiential journey that reminds us of the vital human need for connection and our place as a precious part of a vast, collective network. It is a study of coexistence, delivered in a visual language that speaks to the heart about the time and space we all share

Nikolas Klironomos: A Retrospective (1985–2025)
2026-05-21 11:00 - 19:00 | The City of Athens Gallery, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Athens, 104 36, Greece
This major retrospective is a brilliant place to start looking into the work of Nikolas Klironomos, an artist who has spent decades masterfully blurring the lines between fine art and set design.

Klironomos doesn’t just paint; he “directs” his canvases. Think of him as a visual filmmaker who takes the raw, chaotic energy of Athens, our streets, our faces, our light, and filters it through a lens of memory and emotion.

In this exhibition, the mundane meets the dreamlike. You’ll see the changing seasons of the city tangled up with those small, quirky moments that make life in Athens so unique. By playing with vibrant palettes and some rather unusual materials, he creates scenes that feel like they’re in constant motion. It’s a bit like catching a glimpse of Athens from a moving Vespa—everything is fluid, poetic, and strangely alive.

This exhibition is designed to speak directly to your heart and your memory. What’s truly clever is how Klironomos takes “the bits and bobs” of life, those fragmented, everyday moments, and gives them a sense of grandeur and importance. It’s a proper journey into the hidden corners of time and what it actually means to be human.

Panos Charalambous: COLUMBIA
2026-05-21 11:00 - 20:00 | CITRONNE Gallery, 19 Patriarchou Ioakim, Athens, 106 75, Greece
At CITRONNE Gallery, Panos Charalambous invites us to step into a “sonic room” that speaks directly to the memory of the city. The journey begins in 2006, the year the historic Columbia vinyl record factory in Rizoupoli was demolished, symbolically closing a massive chapter of Greek music history. Columbia was a place where the voices, songs, and moments that shaped our collective soundscape were once etched into wax.

Charalambous transforms the gallery into a visceral, immersive installation. Here, you are invited to walk across a “sound floor,” literally treading on the echoes of a memory that refuses to fade. It is a haunting reminder that music doesn’t vanish with the buildings that once housed it; instead, it survives through emotion, shared experience, and our collective imagination.

In a city that is constantly evolving, COLUMBIA is a profound meditation on decay, remembrance, and our deep-seated need to keep our shared history alive.

Nikos Kalafatis: Primavera
2026-05-21 12:00 - 20:00 | Technohoros Art Gallery, 12 Lempesi, Athens, 117 42, Greece
Nikos Kalafatis presents Primavera, an exhibition curated by Athena Schina, at Technohoros Art Gallery. It is a vibrant, optimistic, and deeply personal tribute to the natural world. For Kalafatis, nature isn’t just a subject; it’s a constant source of daily observation and artistic discovery. Taking the energy of spring as his starting point, the artist creates a world where simple, discarded materials are granted a second life. Driftwood, metals, ropes, feathers, and various objets trouvés are meticulously transformed through painting, sculpture, and engraving into works brimming with poetry, ingenuity, and a subtle touch of wit.
This isn’t just a traditional look at the outdoors; it’s an invitation to adopt a lighter, more observant way of being, one that is open to the “everyday miracles” of the city and beyond. In the heart of the festival, Primavera proves that spring isn’t just a season; it’s a creative state of mind.

Giorgos Louloudis: The Path of Light – The Innate
2026-05-21 12:00 - 21:00 | Genesis Gallery, Ippokratous 121, Athens, Athens, 114 72, Greece
In his new solo exhibition at Gallery Genesis, Giorgos Louloudis places light centre stage, moving beyond its role as a mere physical phenomenon.The artist turns his focus toward the small Greek chapels and their unique relationship with the landscape, transforming them into potent symbols of hope, silence, and internal quest. These works function as quiet stations of contemplation, where physical space and psychological experience are inextricably linked.

Through a powerful expressionist style, Louloudis’s painted surfaces gain emotional intensity and depth. Light becomes an inner necessity, a force that guides the viewer toward a deeply personal reading of the work. This exhibition speaks to the universal need for solace and the enduring power of hope, asserting art’s ability to serve as a point of renewal and reflection in demanding times.
