National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens was founded in 1997 and is overseen and partially funded by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The museum began operating in 2000 when it acquired its first artwork and opened its first temporary exhibition.
In February 2020, after relocating and upgrading key facilities—including a Media Lounge, Conservation Laboratory, Library, Art Archive and Screening Room—EMST reopened fully to the public.
Running through the end of October 2024, EMST is presenting a three-part exhibition cycle dedicated exclusively to the work of women artists and artists who identify as women under the title What if Women Ruled the World?
THE LITTLE GIRL © Ghada Amer
As part of a major rehang of an entire floor, the museum will gradually be dominated by works by women. Women remain underrepresented across much of the art world; this project, curated by EMST’s artistic director Katerina Gregos, imagines what a museum might look like if works by women were the majority rather than tokens.
“Especially in a country like Greece, where there was never a prominent organized feminist movement in the visual arts and women artists were systematically marginalized over decades, this is both an important statement and a redressing of a major imbalance,” Gregos said. “At a time when we are witnessing a resurgence of attacks on women’s rights, the question of female empowerment and gender equality, across the board, is more urgent than ever.”
Part I of What if Women Ruled the World?, titled WOMEN, together, offered the first comprehensive display of selected works from the D. Daskalopoulos Collection gifted to EMST and featured projects including Chryssa Romanos: The Search for Happiness for as Many as Possible; DANAI ANESIADOU: D POSSESSIONS; Time in my hands; a retrospective of Leda Papaconstantinou; and a series of performances by Alexis Blake.
WOMEN, Together © Paris Tavitian
Visitors encounter the question “What if Women Ruled the World?” through Yael Bartana’s landmark neon installation of the same name. Two large text installations—one in Greek and one in English, each approximately 30 feet tall—are installed on the museum’s north and south façades, addressing passersby along Syngrou Avenue.
Part II opened on March 9 and features solo exhibitions by Lola Flash, Bouchra Khalili, Tala Madani and Malvina Panagiotidi, alongside special projects by Yael Bartana, Claudia Comte and Hadassah Emmerich.
Part III will present three additional solo exhibitions by Bertille Bak, Penny Siopis and Eva Stefani through the end of October.
WOMEN, Together © Paris Tavitian
General admission is €8, with reduced tickets at €4 for visitors aged 13–18, university students, groups of 10 or more, and visitors aged 65 and over.
EMST’s programming highlights the ongoing need for visibility and equity in contemporary art, inviting visitors to consider new narratives when women’s voices and perspectives are centered in museum spaces.