From the academic brushstrokes of 19th-century masters to the bold abstraction of today’s contemporary artists, a remarkable journey through Greek visual art has arrived in Chania. The Municipal Art Gallery of Chania, in collaboration with the Cultural Centre of the Bank of Greece, has unveiled “Journeys in Art: Artworks from the Bank of Greece Collection”, an ambitious exhibition showcasing 99 works from one of the country’s most prestigious institutional art collections.

The exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday, May 24, by the Governor of the Bank of Greece, Yannis Stournaras. “Artworks reflect powerful ideas, values and symbols across eras,” Stournaras remarked at the opening ceremony. “They are creations that speak to significant places and historical milestones of both Greek art and the broader Greek narrative.”

A Curated Chronicle of 150 Years of Greek Art

Curated by art historian Charis Kanellopoulou, the exhibition offers a rare public look at a selection of pieces from the Bank’s extensive art holdings. Covering a span of 150 years, from 1870 to 2024, the collection includes work by established and emerging artists whose practices define the breadth of Greek visual culture.

Presented across three thematic “routes” corresponding to the gallery’s three floors, the exhibition is both chronological and conceptual—encouraging visitors to trace artistic transformations alongside national and cultural shifts.

• The first section explores the legacy of the Munich School and Greek marine painting of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The second section moves into the modernist wave of the 1920s and continues through the experimental energy of the 1960s and 1970s.
• The third section addresses developments from the 1970s onward, focusing on contemporary figurative work and abstract approaches of the 21st century.

This curatorial structure enables visitors to witness how Greek artists have reflected, interpreted, and challenged historical narratives through evolving techniques and aesthetic languages.

A Panoramic View of Greek Art—from Masters to Today’s Voices

The exhibition brings together iconic names like Nikos Gyzis, Nikiforos Lytras, Konstantinos Volanakis, and Konstantinos Parthenis, alongside modern and contemporary figures such as Yannis Tsarouchis, Nikos Kessanlis, Rena Papaspyrou, George Rorris, Vana Xenou, Michalis Manousakis, Ilias Papailiakis, and Christina Kalmpouri.

In total, the roster includes over 40 artists, offering a diverse yet coherent picture of Greece’s visual arts tradition—one marked by continuity, reinvention, and dialogue with both national identity and global currents.

Exhibition Details

The show runs through November 2, 2025, with visiting hours Monday through Saturday (10:00–14:00 and 19:00–22:00). The gallery is closed on Sundays. Admission is €5 general, €2 for students, unemployed visitors, and members of large families. Free entry is available for visitors under 18, ICOM cardholders, and members of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece. Notably, admission is free for all every Tuesday.

A bilingual catalogue (Greek–English) accompanies the exhibition, featuring reproductions of all artworks on display along with curatorial texts.

A Landmark Cultural Moment for Crete

This major exhibition marks an important moment for the city of Chania, placing it firmly on the map as a host of significant national cultural initiatives. More than a showcase of institutional holdings, Journeys in Art provides insight into the evolving identity of Greek visual art—and its capacity to narrate a nation’s story across generations.

For more information, visit: www.pinakothiki-chania.gr
Social Media: @MunicipalArtGalleryChania (Facebook & Instagram)