Description of the attraction
The National Museum of Modern Art in Athens was founded in October 2000 and is the only public institution in Athens specializing in contemporary Greek and world art. Anna Kafetsi (former curator of the National Gallery) became the ideological inspirer and director of the museum.
Starting its activity, the museum had neither its own premises, nor a collection, and its first exhibition was rather experimental in nature. The collection of the museum was formed on the basis of both its own acquisitions and private donations. To date, the museum owns more than 700 exhibits - painting, graphics, installations, sculpture, photography, video, "new media" and much more. The museum exhibits the works of such masters as Ilya Kabakov, Gary Hill, Nan Goldin, Allan Sekula, Dimitris Alithinis, Nikos Navridis, Bill Viola, Bruce Nauman, Mona Khatum, Vito Acconci, Dan Graham, Chris Burden, Nam June Pike, Costas Tsoklis, Linda Benglis, etc. The pride of the museum, of course, is its magnificent library.
The old industrial building of the former Fix brewery, built in the second half of the 19th century, located in the center of Athens, was chosen as the home for the new museum. In the 50s of the 20th century, a large-scale reconstruction of the brewery was carried out according to the project of the famous architect Takis Zenetos, but after two decades the building was abandoned and gradually fell into decay. In order to turn this masterpiece of industrial architecture into a museum that meets all the modern requirements and norms of such institutions, a global reconstruction was required.
In the first years of its work, the management of the National Museum of Modern Art organized exhibitions on the first floor of the former brewery, but later the collection of the museum temporarily moved to the building of the Athens Conservatory, and large-scale construction work began in the former brewery. The building has a total area of approximately 20,000 sq. m. will provide premises for permanent and temporary exhibitions, an archive, a library, workshops, specially equipped auditoriums for lectures and seminars, as well as shops and cafes.
The renovation of the building is expected to be completed by October 2013, and the inauguration of the National Museum of Contemporary Art is expected in March 2014.
