World Premiere of Economou Collection

The Municipal Gallery of Athens houses a rich collection of nearly 3,000 works from leading 19th and 20th century Greek artists. The first major exhibition of the Municipal Gallery of Athens in its new location will be a world premiere of the collection of businessman and collector, George Economou. The exhibition will feature works from the 15th century to the German New Objectivity movement of 1923, including works by Amedeo Modigliani, Pierre Matisse, Pierre Bonard, Picasso, Andrea Palladio, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Pechstain, Erich Chekel, Alberto Giacometti, Alexander Archipenko, Jim Drain, Lucian Freud and Cy Twombly. In October 2010, the gallery moved from Pireos street on Eleftherias (Koumoundourou) Square to the corner of Myllerou and Leonidou streets on Avdi Square, Metaxourgeio. It was a move of only three blocks, but it added another important dimension to the gallery's draw: the new building was designed by the prominent Danish architect Hans Christian Hansen just a year after Greece gained independence in 1832. It was intended to be Athens first indoor commercial center, but after construction ended in 1835, the building was abandoned for nearly 20 years. It then took on a series of identities, including a hospital and a steam silk plant (giving the surrounding neighborhood its name, Metaxourgeio means silk factory). Directions: The gallery is in a yellow building on the corner of Myllerou and Leonidou, on Avdi Square in the Metaxourgeio neighborhood. It is a short walk (5-7 minutes) southwest from the Metaxourgeio metro stop. The gallery is no longer on Pireos Street on Eleftherias (Koumoundourou) Square. Hours: Tues-Sat: 10:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00 (10am-2pm & 5-9pm), Sun: 10:00-14:00 (10am-2pm) Mon: Closed Admission: Free Municipal Gallery of Athens Myllerou 32 Metaxourgeio (Avdi Square) Athens 10436 (0030) 210 3231841