The George Economou Collection
At a glance

One of Athens’ great hidden collections — from German Expressionism to Judd, Bourgeois, Hammons and today’s most compelling contemporary voices.

Visit note - time related
60–90 minutes
What you'll see
  • Important holdings of German Expressionism and New Objectivity
  • The complete graphic oeuvre of Otto Dix and Otto Mueller
  • Postwar and contemporary art by leading international artists
  • Focused temporary exhibitions drawn from the collection, sometimes complemented by institutional and private loans
  • Publications, talks and conversations that place each exhibition in a wider cultural context
  • Otto Dix · Otto Mueller · Georg Baselitz · Sigmar Polke · Gerhard Richter · Anselm Kiefer · Louise Bourgeois · David Hammons · Agnes Martin · Jenny Saville · Charles Ray · Jeff Wall
Artlovers Tip

Check the current exhibition before travelling: there is no conventional permanent display, so the experience depends entirely on the temporary programme. Wednesday is the most flexible day, with opening hours extended until 20:00.

Nearby route ideas

Combine it with another contemporary-art destination in northern Athens, such as DESTE Foundation, rather than treating it as part of a walkable central-museum itinerary.

The two spaces offer a very different side of Athens’ art scene: private collecting, ambitious exhibitions and fewer crowds.

About the venue

About

The collection creates a strong dialogue between the political and psychological intensity of early 20th-century German art and later generations of postwar and contemporary artists. Rather than displaying its holdings permanently, it reveals them through changing exhibitions developed with internationally recognised curators and institutions. The collection also lends regularly to museums including Tate Modern, The Met, Centre Pompidou, Fondation Beyeler and the Stedelijk Museum.

Worth the trip

Because the collection is exceptional but rarely seen all at once. Its strengths run from German Expressionism and New Objectivity to Minimalism, postwar and contemporary art, making each exhibition feel like access to a collector’s private art world.

© The George Economou Collection

The George Economou Collection

Athens, Greece
OpenPrivate Gallery

On show now

Exhibitions at The George Economou Collection

Athens, Greece

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Greece

Athens is where ancient art and contemporary urgency collide — a city of marble, myth, ruins, museums, galleries and raw creative energy.

Do ancient Athens in the morning, contemporary Athens in the afternoon. The city is strongest when you let the Acropolis, EMST, galleries and street life speak to each other.

Athens is one of the most powerful art cities in Europe if you want art with history, conflict and intensity. You come for the Acropolis and the ancient world, but the city becomes unforgettable when you also see its contemporary side: EMST, galleries, street art, artist spaces and a creative scene still shaped by urgency.

Athens is not polished like Paris or easy like Amsterdam. That is exactly why it matters. Art here feels ancient, political, imperfect and alive.

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