How does an artistic practice develop beyond formal education? What kinds of relationships, knowledge, and professional experience are involved in entering and sustaining a position within the contemporary art world? How do emerging artists learn to navigate curatorial collaborations, the making of exhibitions, presenting work in commercial galleries, gallery representation, and the wider circulation of their work?

These questions informed this year’s educational program, developed by Art Athina in collaboration with ARTWORKS. Through an intensive series of visits to galleries and other art institutions, alongside discussions with experienced professionals, the program offered an opportunity to explore the practical and often less visible aspects of working in contemporary art. A total of 145 art students and recent graduates registered to participate. Visits included Kalfayan Galleries, Eleni Koroneou Gallery, CAN Christina Androulidaki, CRUX Galerie, Callirrhoë, and Ekfrasi – Yianna Grammatopoulou, as well as the B. & M. Theocharakis Foundation, the Contemporary Greek Art Institute (ISET), and artists’ studios.

The exhibitions and artworks encountered during these visits provided the starting point for conversations about artistic research, materiality, and the technical demands of production; the spatial and conceptual development of exhibitions; relationships between artists, curators, and galleries; exhibition programming; collections; and the art market. Discussions also addressed documentation and archival practices, considering how artistic activity is recorded, preserved, and revisited through research.

The exchange of perspectives brought to the surface forms of knowledge that are rarely taught explicitly but are often acquired through experience, professional relationships, and sustained participation in the art scene. The Art Athina × ARTWORKS Educational Program sought to open up access to this knowledge for emerging artists and art professionals, creating opportunities for direct encounters and conversations with those actively working in the field.

The program builds on ARTWORKS’ longstanding commitment to supporting artists’ professional development through the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship Program (2018–2023), the Professional Development Weeks at the Athens School of Fine Arts (2022, 2023), and workshops, talks, and lectures organised as part of more recent initiatives, including ARTWORKS Grants and Curatorial Residencies (2024–2026).

The program was developed with the participation of

Evgenia Apostolou, Anastasia Douka, Eirini Efstathiou, Ioanna Gerakidi, Danae Giannoglou, Panos Giannikopoulos, Yianna Grammatopoulou, Alexandra Ikonomou, Myrto Kakara, Arsen Kalfayan, Marily Konstantinopoulou, Eleni Koroneou, Looper, Natalia Manta, Nikos Markou, Marina Miliou-Theocharaki, Natalia Mitsioni, Sakis Papakonstantinou, Sotiris Panousakis, Dimitris Rentoumis, Eleni Riga, Phaedra Vassiliadou.