Explore Tactile Art, Jazz and a Landmark Retrospective at the Goulandris Museum

From a landmark exhibition tracing 130 years of modern art to an inclusive, multisensory programme and the return of live jazz performances, the Museum of the B&E Goulandris Foundation in Athens offers a rich cultural agenda

15.01.2026 20:00

Newsroom

15.01.2026 20:00

Newsroom

The temporary exhibition From Monet to Warhol, currently on view at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation Museum in Athens since December 6, has sparked widespread discussion among art lovers, emerging as one of the most ambitious exhibitions presented in Greece in recent years. Bringing together rare and emblematic works that shaped the history of painting over the past 130 years, the exhibition offers a sweeping overview of modern and contemporary art.

Featuring 83 masterpieces by 45 leading figures of modern and contemporary art, the exhibition constructs a visual panorama that traces decisive artistic moments from Impressionism to the present day. The show highlights the evolution of artistic expression and places landmark works in dialogue, offering visitors a comprehensive narrative of artistic innovation across more than a century.

View of the exhibition “From Monet to Warhol”.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), The Clowness at the Moulin-Rouge, 1897. Lithograph in crayon, pencil and splatter, printed in six colours. Unique trial proof with red chalk highlights on wove paper | 46 x 35 cm

Alongside this major retrospective, the museum’s Auditorium Foyer in Athens hosts a new experiential exhibition designed to welcome visitors of all identities and sensory abilities. Open to both sighted visitors and people with blindness, the exhibition is free to the public and places multisensory engagement at its core.

Photo by Fanis Logothetis

Part of the Foundation’s broader accessibility programme, the exhibition features tactile artworks inspired by the museum’s permanent collection, accompanied by audio descriptions in Greek, soundscapes, Braille texts and adapted guided tours. Challenging the traditionally vision-centred approach to art interpretation, the exhibition seeks to activate all the senses, placing the body and touch at the centre of the viewing experience. Visitors are invited to touch, listen, explore and interact with the works, engaging in a form of multisensory understanding where touch and sound play an equally central role.

Experiential guided tours are held within the framework of the exhibition and are led by individuals with lived experience of blindness who participated in the artistic research and production of the works. Through these tours, visitors are encouraged to experience art through all their senses, interact directly with the exhibits and listen to personal testimonies, gaining a practical understanding of what museum accessibility truly means. Participation in the tours is free of charge, with advance online booking required.

The exhibition is part of the TouchingART programme by the NGO amaka, an initiative that aims to set an example of how museums can function as open and genuinely inclusive spaces. A key objective of the programme is the active involvement of people with visual impairments in the artistic process itself—from the creation of tactile artworks to guiding visitors—addressing issues of equal access to culture through alternative and inclusive practices.

Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00–18:00
Friday: 10:00–20:00
Tuesday: Closed

For visitors with blindness, the exhibition is accessible with a companion.

Jazz at the Museum Sessions Return

The popular Jazz at the Museum concert series also returns in the new year, opening with the performance MelodHer on Friday, January 16, at 8:30 pm.

Double bassist Dinos Manos and harpist Athanasia Manou join forces in a poetic and unpredictable duo, performing 20th-century works, original compositions and lyrical improvisations. Their collaboration creates a musical landscape rich in contrasts, colours and emotional intensity, drawing on influences that range from contemporary classical music to deeply personal sonic explorations.

Through their collaboration with visual artist and art historian Niovi Kritikou, music takes on material form. The duo’s compositions interact with Kritikou’s artworks, which are inspired by sound and silence alike. Music becomes the driving force behind visual creation, weaving a shared space of expression in a live listening experience where sound and image converge, inviting audiences into a moment of introspection and connection.