«Greek Art Now», an ambitious project for the digitization and global promotion of selected works from the collections of three leading museum organizations through the Google Arts & Culture platform, was presented on Tuesday 10 June 2025, at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), in Athens. The presentation event was attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.

The project “Greek Art Now” was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture, being a multi-level collaboration between the Google Arts & Culture platform and the National Gallery of Greece- Alexandros Soutsos Museum, the National Museum of Contemporary Art (ΕΜSΤ) and the Metropolitan Organization of Thessaloniki Fine Arts Museums (MOMus). MOMus consists of Museum of Modern Art-Kostaskis Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, the Experimental Center for the Arts and the Alex Mylonas Museum. The aim of the project is the digitization, promotion and dissemination of Greek modern and contemporary art to a global audience.

Through more than 60 digital stories and 1,800 high-resolution images, this innovative digital exhibition highlights the course of Greek art from the 19th century to the present day, the creations of contemporary artists, as well as selections from the internationally renowned Kostakis Collection.

During her introductory speech at the event, the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, notably stated:
“The Cultural Sector holds a distinct position and role in the national digital strategy developed and implemented by the Government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In recent years, the Ministry of Culture has accelerated the planning and implementation of digital projects, leaving a strong mark of modernization and reform, both in the area of infrastructure and in the production of value-added products and services. It has made optimal use of national and Community human, institutional, and financial resources, as well as opportunities for knowledge transfer and consolidation, through synergies with third parties from the academic and research sectors, as well as from the private sector of information and communication technology companies, at both national and international levels. It is precisely within this framework that the multilateral cooperation for the implementation of the ‘Greek Art Now’ project is included. Among the numerous online platforms of Google, for about 14 years now, the Arts & Culture platform has stood out, with its declared aim to contribute to the digital preservation, promotion, and dissemination of art and cultural heritage, through non-profit collaboration with cultural organizations from around the world. I believe that the outcome fully justifies the goals we set when we began the cooperation of our three cultural organizations—National Gallery, EMST, MOMus—with Google, and truly offers added value, both to the museums’ collections and to the platform itself.”

In her address, Peggy Antonakou, General Manager of Google Southeast Europe, pointed out: “This collaboration between Google and the Ministry of Culture, in conjunction with leading cultural institutions in Greece, highlights the importance of contemporary Greek art. Through technology, it becomes accessible to all, without geographical or time restrictions.”

As part of the event, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis participated in a panel discussion with Amit Sood, Director of Google Arts & Culture, moderated by Giorgia Abeltino, Senior Director Public Policy South Europe and Director External Relations Google Arts & Culture. The discussion focused on the pivotal role that technology plays in strengthening contemporary art and museums, highlighting the potential of the digital age for education, research and the global dissemination of culture.

In his statement, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “I would like to thank and congratulate the Google team, the Ministry of Culture and all those who contributed to the implementation of this excellent project, which I believe highlights many of our priorities at the crossroads of arts and culture. As many who visit this app will realise, Greece has a very vibrant, modern and contemporary artistic heritage. Just convincing people that Greece is not only our glorious past, but also our present and future, has always been a very important priority for our cultural policy.”

Amit Sood, Google Arts & Culture Director, pointed out: “Greece, as a country with such an ancient and important cultural heritage, has inspired us to showcase its contemporary artistic creation so that more people can experience its excellence and creativity. I am honored to have worked with the Ministry of Culture of Greece and am thrilled that the impressive collections of the National Gallery, EMST and MOMus are now available online.”

Google Arts & Culture users can take virtual tours of participating museums, explore details of artworks through the Art Camera and discover the hidden stories and narratives behind them.

They can even interact with some of these works in an original and creative way. More specifically, through the Google Arts & Culture platform, can deconstruct and reassemble them digitally, exploring them from a completely different, interactive perspective.

Moreover, the «A World Without Blue» exhibition, within the platform’s Pocket Gallery feature, offers an immersive augmented reality experience. Visitors can virtually browse works of art, wherever they are, directly from their mobile phone.

“Greek Art Now” is now available on Google Arts & Culture and for app downloading on Android or  iOS.