MONTH IN REVIEW: September 2026
A roundup of this past month’s art and design news about the makers and creators from Greece and Cyprus
By: Konstantina
Clinamen by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot Arrived In Athens
Clinamen by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot made its way to Athens. The artist’s immersive, kinetic, and acoustic art installation features hundreds of porcelain bowls drifting and chiming as they collide in three large pools of heated water. On view — for the first time outdoors — at the Onassis Mandra in Athens — following the Bourse de Commerce, Pinault Collection in Paris and the Park Avenue Armory in New York — the exhibition offers a meditative experience for visitors.
Clinamen has no beginning, middle, or end. It functions as a constantly evolving sound environment, where no two visitors hear exactly the same sound. Every small collision creates a new sound event, making every moment of the exhibition unique. Boursier-Mougenot hand selected each bowl based on its timbre and the sound it makes when it collides with others.
In an interview at the Park Avenue Armory, Bourchier-Muzeno explains that he is interested in “making sound itself visible.” There is a purity and serenity to the installation, made all the more cinematic occupying Athens’ only surviving open-air theater from the Belle Époque.
A New Generation of Greek Restaurants Opens in London
London’s Greek food scene is booming in a fresh, unexpected way. Gone are the days of the blue and white color palettes and gyro takeaways— this new generation of culinary masters are bringing a comprehensive and eclectic approach to “it's all Greek to me.” The string of new openings infuses the city with an artful and upscale contemporary experience akin to what one would experience in the heart of Athens. While still full of soul and heart, these new entrants are merging the true nostalgia of Greek and Cypriot comfort food, while honoring numerous different regions in Greece. New restaurants including Puro, Myrtos, Clio, Zylia and Fenix in Mayfair, and Taverna Ermou, an Athens favorite, mix ingredients from Greece and local farm-to-table foods into the experience.
“It’s less of a gimmick and more about the food,” said Nick Molyviatis, co-founder of Zylia. “There is a very big difference in the cuisine between the islands and the mountains and the fields. Most people know about how the south of Spain and the north of Spain are very different, and hopefully in a few years people will have this understanding about Greek and Cypriot food.”
The boom is like an extension of Greece’s tourism surge, which can now be experienced during a simple stroll through London.
Contemporary Art Takes Over Athens with ArtRove Athens
ArtRove Athens is a new curated city parcours across some of the most iconic spots in Athens. With the intention of bringing people closer to art and the city, the platform invites visitors to wander and encounter artworks within and outside of conventional gallery settings to help them rediscover familiar urban spaces. Rather than occupying a single venue, ArtRove offers a map throughout the city where each stop – some at galleries, others at jewelry stores or flower shops – provides a different encounter between artwork and the environment.
Some participating artists include Nan Goldin, Ross Bleckner, Konstantin Kakanias, Carole Feuerman, Petros Efstathiadis, Farida El Gazzar, Stella Kapezanou, Venia Dimitrakopoulou, Alexandros Kassandrinos, Venia Bechraki and Alexandros Vasmoulakis, alongside works and objects by figures including Thomas Heatherwick and Ron Arad.
Running through October 9, there will also be live events throughout, turning Voukourestiou street in Athens into a gathering space for connection, community, and creativity.
Dimitri Halkidis Exhibition Opened in Athens
Dimitri Halkidis is a Greek-American photographer most known for his decades working in fashion, portraiture, and cultural documentation. He began his career in Hollywood, capturing actors and performers and he eventually transitioned into fashion photography during the early ‘90s. He has captured portraits of the likes of George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Grace Jones, and Cindy Crawford. His work is rooted in an enduring fascination with people at pivotal moments—when identity is still taking shape and before recognition becomes mythology. Rather than simple, conventional portraits, Halkidis’ photos are full of depth, personality, and authenticity.
Works from his series From the Streets to the Runway: ’90s Supermodels in NYC are on display in an exhibition at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens. The show features numerous photos of the most iconic models of the era, beyond the confines of studios and runways. New York City is an consistent character in the photos: its energy and layers enhance the story and scene. Created primarily on film, Halkidis’s defining archival work embraces grain, imperfection, and immediacy as essential storytelling elements.
Art Number 23 presents this international group show, which is on view until October 1. Admission is free.
Vanessa Grigoriadis Reports on her Mother Mary Grigoriadis’ Life and Legacy
Mary Grigoriadis is a pattern painter and co-founder of A.I.R. Gallery, the first women’s cooperative gallery in the city founded in 1972. As one of the first non-profits galleries maintained for women in the art, A.I.R. Gallery presented numerous opportunities for these creators and acted as a hub for pioneering women who made history in the male-dominated arts scene.
For ELLE Decor, Grigoriadis’ daughter Vanessa reports on an exciting development for her mother: a presentation of her painting by the Ortuzar gallery at the Independent 20th Century art far at Sotheby’s at the Breuer. Grigoriadis work spans more than 40 years, and the 1970s were a breakthrough time for her. At A.I.R., she developer her personal style on her own terms. She began exploring with white-on-white surfaces before moving to more earth-tones and eventually landed into the exuberant colors she’s most known for. She creates richly patterned textile-like compositions with a mix of organic shapes and industrial forms. In the piece, her daughter reports about her mom finally receiving recognition in the spotlight — now in her eighties — and what it was like growing up with a creative.
