Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika

Thirty years after the passing of influential Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Benaki Museum unveils an exhibition celebrating his transformative 1958 journey from West to East.

A new exhibition at the Benaki Museum of Piraeus Street, titled “Ghika: A Journey from the West to the East,” sheds light on the significant travels of the great Greek painter, engraver, and sculptor Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika. Marking the 30th anniversary of his passing, the exhibit explores a pivotal journey that deeply influenced both his art and life.

The Benaki Museum (138 Pireos) presents "Ghika: A Journey from West to East," opening at 8 p.m. on October 23, to commemorate 30 years since the death of renowned Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika. The exhibition explores his transformative 1958 journey across the US, Mexico, Asia and Egypt, showcasing his growing connection between Eastern and Western cultures.

The British Embassy in Athens and the Benaki Museum have launched a new collaborative initiative, with the "Grand Tour" exhibition. As part of this initiative, the UK Government Art Collection is loaning 17 pieces from the British Ambassador's Residence in Athens to the Benaki for display at its Ghika Gallery, through June 1, 2025.

Odysseas Elytis, Giorgos Seferis and scores of other writers have waxed poetic about Santorini's natural attractions, just as dozens of visual artists have been unable to resist the island's stunning landscapes.

The Benaki Museum, in cooperation with Kazantzakis Publications, has put together a tribute to the great Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis, with exhibits on display at three of the museum's venues. At the Pireos Street annex, visitors can see notes, letters and manuscripts that shed light on the author's life.

Manuscripts, first editions, personal items, paintings by George Seferis himself, as well as black-and-white photographs from his student years until his last travels in Greece and abroad make up the tribute to the Nobel laureate at the B&M Theocharakis Foundation, curated by Takis Mavrotas.

The Benaki Museum exhibition "Ghika - Craxton - Leigh Fermor: Charmed Lives in Greece" sheds light on the special friendship that bound the three emblematic figures of 20th century art and literature, against the backdrop of the amazing places that inspired them: Hydra, Kardamyli, Crete and Corfu.

I have often asked myself how an exhibition ultimately affects its audience. What kind of trace does it leave on the collective memory? The answer, I find, is that it depends on the show's content and the circumstances under which it takes place.

It's your last chance to catch the B&M Theocharakis Foundation's large-scale exhibition of seascapes by acclaimed 19th and 20th century Greek artists this weekend, as it ends on Sunday, May 7.