On Wednesday, October 22, at a special ceremony held at the French Embassy in Greece, the insignia of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters were awarded on behalf of the Minister of Culture of the French Republic by the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, on behalf of the Minister of Culture of the French Republic, to the General Director of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Kyriakos Koutsomallis.

The title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’order des Arts et des Lettres), one of the highest honors of the French Republic, is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the arts and letters.

“Today we have an exceptional opportunity to honor an important figure in the arts and in the relationship between Greece and France. An opportunity to honor a man with an exceptional career in the museum and artistic landscape of the country. The French Republic solemnly expresses its gratitude and honors a life devoted with passion to the promotion of art, and contemporary art in particular,” said Ms. Laurence Auer.

The French Ambassador to Greece looked back on Kyriakos Koutsomallis’ career, from his beginnings at the Theological School of Halki to his subsequent studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris. She spoke about his meeting with Vasilis and Eliza Goulandris, making special mention of their vision and contribution to the promotion of the arts. He spoke at length about the history of the Foundation, its two museums in Andros and Athens, and the very close cooperation between the Embassy and the Foundation, which he described as “one of the most valuable we have.”

“For your outstanding contribution to the promotion of French art in Greece, for your ongoing support for dialogue between the two countries, and on behalf of the Minister of Culture of the French Republic, I award you the insignia of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters,” said Ms. Auer.

Kyriakos Koutsomallis thanked the French Ambassador to Greece, Ms. Laurence Auer, for the high honor and distinction of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters awarded to him by the Minister of Culture of the French Republic .

“This medal is of great significance to me, as it rewards my love for the arts and culture in general, and French culture in particular, which has been and continues to be a priority for me since my early youth,” he said in his acceptance speech.

He then expressed his gratitude for everything France had offered him during his stay there.

In terms of his studies and then in terms of strengthening his ties with the artistic trends and pioneering forms that invented and established the avant-garde movements that overturned long-standing stereotypical iconographic data of world iconography .

For the opportunity he had to collaborate with major national museums and private art institutions, which subsequently helped him as models of professionalism and consistency.

He was given the opportunity to visit countless private and public collections, as well as to meet Vasilis and Eliza Goulandris in Paris and, at their suggestion, to join their artistic interests and collecting choices.

He expressed his gratitude to France, which welcomed him as a student and offered him a different perspective on the pedagogical approach to things, through its representative in Greece, Her Excellency Mrs. Laurence Auer.

Kyriakos Koutsomallis was born in Imbros in 1943, where he completed primary and secondary school. He lived in Istanbul for seven years, studying at the Lycée and the Academic Department of the Theological School of Halki, and then settled in Paris. He initially studied at the Catholic Institute of Paris and, at the same time, at the École Pratique des Hautes Études. He continued his studies at the University of Sorbonne (Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne), where he received a Master’s Degree (D.E.A.) in Art History and History, as well as a doctorate.

Today, Kyriakos Koutsomallis is a member of the Board of Directors of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation and Director of the Foundation’s Museums in Athens and Andros. He is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (A.I.C.A.), a member of the National Council of Museums, Chief Referendary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and, since February 2012, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Museum of Contemporary Art. He is a member of the National Council of Museums, Archon Referendarian of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and, since February 2025, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic.