In the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture, responsible for Contemporary Culture, Iasonas Fotilas, the official opening of MOMUS Air, the new contemporary culture space operating at Thessaloniki “Macedonia, Airport ” as part of the strategic cooperation between Fraport Greece and the Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki-MOMUS, a body supervised by the Ministry of Culture.

The opening ceremony was attended by, among others, representatives of the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, as well as business and cultural organisations of the city, underlining the importance of the initiative for Thessaloniki and the role of the airport as a cultural hub.

MOMUS Air, which is already operational and freely accessible to travelers, is a modern 163 m² space within the airport where art, technology, and the travel experience coexist. Through visual arts works—both originals and reproductions—digital applications, and documentaries, visitors come into contact with selected material from the collections of the five MOMUS museums, in an unexpected but meaningful encounter with contemporary culture.

The first exhibition hosted at the venue focuses on the idea of flight, which for centuries has symbolized the desire to escape, social rupture, spiritual uplift, and utopianism. In this exhibition, visitors can see reproductions of works by avant-garde artists in Russia and Eastern Europe in the early 20th century (Alexei Morgunov, Liubov Popova, Vladimir Tatlin), constructions, short documentaries, and works by contemporary artists and photographers such as Yannis Moralis, Achilleas Apergis, Stephen Antonakos, Socrates Iordanidis, Alexis Akritakis, and Lena Athanasopoulou. The theme of flight in the exhibition is not simply about upward movement, but also a metaphorical negotiation of forces that resist, shape, or momentarily support our desire to rise.

The next visual arts stop at MOMUS Air will be the 9th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, coming up this May.

The initiative is part of Fraport Greece’s strategy to continuously upgrade the travel experience and strengthen the connection between airports and local communities, highlighting the identity and cultural wealth of each location.

The Deputy Minister of Culture, responsible for Contemporary Culture, Mr. Iasonas Fotilas, noted: “MOMUS Air is a contemporary and dynamic proposal for how culture can be integrated into public spaces and accompany the travel experience. The collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, through MOMUS, and Fraport Greece proves that when public and private entities share a common vision, projects with a significant cultural and social impact can be created. It fully embraces and justifies the policy of extroversion and dissemination of culture pursued by the ministry and our Minister, Lina Mendoni. Thessaloniki is gaining a new cultural hub, where contemporary art meets the world, at the very moment of transition and travel.”

Fraport Greece CEO Alexander Zinell said: “MOMUS Air expresses our philosophy in the most meaningful way: airports should be places of experience and connection with every location they serve. In Thessaloniki, a city with a strong cultural identity, we wanted the airport to be part of this narrative. We warmly thank the Ministry of Culture and MOMUS for their cooperation and shared vision, which has now become a reality.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MOMUS, Mr. Epaminondas Christofilopoulos, said: “The creation of MOMUS Air within the premises of Thessaloniki’s “Macedonia” airport is an idea that, at first glance, seems almost self-evident: culture in a space of constant movement, waiting, and transition. However, developing a museum exhibition space at an airport is a technically, institutionally, and operationally extremely complex undertaking, and not simply a spatial planning choice. It is an exercise in balancing different worlds, with different priorities, rules, and responsibilities. The fact that we are inaugurating MOMUS Air today clearly reflects the determination of the people at Fraport Greece and MOMUS to overcome the difficulties and put into practice an idea with a clear international, cultural, and social impact.”

Panagiotis Spyratos, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Fraport Greece, said: “When culture meets tourism, travel takes on added value, while visitors get closer to the identity of the city. MOMUS Air offers travelers an authentic picture of contemporary Greek creativity and highlights Thessaloniki Airport as a place that emphasizes the quality of the overall travel experience. It is further proof of our ongoing commitment to positively surprise passengers and bring them closer to the place they are visiting.

The event was coordinated by the General Manager of MOMUS, Ms. Fani Tsatsaia, and the Head of Corporate Communications at Fraport Greece, Mr. Savvas Karagiannis.