These Are the Must-See Art Exhibitions in Athens Right Now

Greece, and Athens in particular, has long been regarded as the cradle of Western culture. The record-breaking $124 million box office for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey confirms the enduring global appeal of its myths, literature and cultural imagination. But when it comes to contemporary art, Documenta 14 in 2017, staged between Athens and Kassel, undoubtedly helped place the city firmly on the international art-world map. Yet it is only more recently, particularly since the pandemic, that Athens has reemerged as an annual destination for the global contemporary scene.

Dakis Joannou’s Hydra gatherings have certainly accelerated that shift, turning a post-Basel trip to Greece into an annual ritual for many. Beyond that summer pilgrimage, Athens’s own institutions, galleries and new spaces...