Athens attracts travelers from all over the world for its history and ancient treasures. However, contemporary art lovers are not left out in the cold these days. The modern, ambitious Greek capital has opened in 2020 a museum of contemporary art in the heart of the Koukaki district. You want to find more about its collections and history? Here’s some useful information before your visit.
Practical information about the EMST Museum in Athens
How to get to the EMST?
The Athens National Museum of Contemporary Art (or EMST) is located on the corner of Kallirois Avenue and Amvrosiou Frantzi Street, in the former Fix beer factory. Here on Google Maps.
You can get to the EMST museum by car. The museum doesn’t have its own parking lot, but there are several in the vicinity. The nearest is at the Syngrou-Fix metro station.
If you opt for public transport, the EMST Museum is 280m from the Syngrou-Fix metro station (Metro line 2 – red) and 300m from the Fix streetcar station (T6).
The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility or disabilities, with ramps, escalators and/or elevators on every floor. Access for people with reduced mobility is from the Siggrou Avenue entrance.
Opening hours of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 11am-7pm
- Wednesday: 11am-7pm
- Thursday: 11am-10pm
- Friday: 11am-7pm
- Saturday: 11am-7pm
- Sunday: 11am-7pm
Last admission 30 mins before closing time.
Public holidays: The EMST Museum is closed on January 1, January 6, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday, August 15, October 28, December 25 and 26
EMST Prices
- Full price: €8
- Reduced rate : 4€ (for 13-18 year-olds, citizens over 65, students with ISIC card…)
- Free admission for children aged 12 and under, people with disabilities and the person accompanying them.
- Tip 1: Every first Thursday of the month, admission to EMST is free from 6pm to 10pm.
- Tip 2: “2 for 1” – For the price of one admission ticket, you can return to the museum free of charge a second time within one month of purchasing the ticket.
Tickets are purchased at the museum reception desk.
Please check any information that may have changed before visiting the EMST Museum website.
The history of the National Museum of Contemporary Art
EMST was founded in 1997 and acquired the first works in its collection in 2000. For the next 20 years, lacking his own premises, he organized nomadic exhibitions in various venues such as the Athens Concert Hall and the School of Fine Arts. After a few financial and administrative hurdles, the museum moved definitively into the gigantic former Fix brewery, a landmark in Athens.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation decides to grant a subsidy to the museum, enabling it to acquire the equipment it needs to run smoothly. It opened its doors in February 2020.
The museum’s famous building and sleek architecture
The former FIX brewery was built in 1961 by two Greek architects: Takis Zenetos (1926-1977) and Margaritis Apostolidis (1921-2005). The museum now has a vast, magnificent 20,000 m2 space in which to display its permanent and temporary collections.
It’s an impressive building with an industrial design and a purist, minimalist style. What strikes you as you enter is the pleasant luminosity and the omnipresence of white, which allows the eye to focus on the works of art. The museum is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Don’t miss the museum’s rooftop on the top floor, with its breathtaking view of the city and the Parthenon.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions to discover
© Jennifer P
© Jennifer P
The permanent collection comprises 172 works by 78 Greek and international artists. The museum’s intention? Promote the talent of contemporary Greek artists and show that Athens has its place on the international scene. The works on display deal with sensitive, complex and timeless subjects: identity, democracy, exclusion, discrimination, immigration… Some works by internationally renowned Greek artists such as Costas Tsoclis and Jannis Kounellis are included.
EMST has a mobile application (IOS and Android). As well as being pleasant, the interface is easy to use, allowing you to learn more about the artists and their works during your visit.
EMST’s ideal location
EMST is less than 800 m from the Acropolis Museum, in the heart of the Koukaki district. The Syngrou-Fix metro station is also just a few steps from the museum (280 m). NYN ESTI, a café-restaurant nestled on the 4th floor. For now, we strongly recommend extending your visit with a stroll through the lively and seductive Koukaki district. Whether for lunch or dinner, there are plenty of excellent restaurants nearby to soak up the atmosphere.
Allow 1 to 2 hours for your visit, depending on your appetite for conceptual and contemporary art.
Not full yet? Why not discover the Goulandris Foundation now? Opening in 2019, this other museum of modern and contemporary art impresses with the richness and beauty of its collection.
You want more to read? Discover other museums in Athens
Jennifer P.
