The news of the death of art historian and curator Anna Kafetsi (1955–2016) has cast a shadow of sadness over the cultural world.

Anna Kafetsi, a Doctor of Philosophy/Aesthetics (Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne), was the founding director (2000-2014) of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (ΕΜΣΤ) and a former curator for the 20^thcentury Collections at the National Gallery, Athens (1983-1999)

From 2016 till 2026 she was the director of annexM Visual Arts Center at Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall. She has curated numerous landmark exhibitions including “Metamorphoses of the Modern-The Greek experience”, National Gallery 1992; “Russian Avant-Garde – The G. Costakis Collection”, National Gallery 1995; “Synopsis 1-3 (Communications, Theologies, Testimonies)”, ΕΜΣΤ 2000-2003; “Transcultures”, ΕΜΣΤ 2004; “Videographies – The first decades”, ΕΜΣΤ 2005; “The Grand Promenade”, ΕΜΣΤ 2006; “Transexperiences”, ΕΜΣΤ / “798 Space”, Beijing 2008; “Ηeart in Heart”, ΕΜΣΤ 2008; “Politics of Art, ΕΜΣΤ 2010; “Sonic Time, speech-sound-silence”, ΕΜΣΤ 2012; “The Garden sees”, annexM 2017; the trilogy “The unwritten library” (The last reader part I, After Babel part II), annexM 2018-2019; as well as solo shows by artists Konstantinos Parthenis, Theodoros Stamos, Vlassis Caniaris, Yannis Tsarouchis, Chen Zhen, Jannis Kounellis, Kimsooja, Shirin Neshat, Y. Z. Kami, Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries, Yang Fudong, Gulsun Karamustafa, Μaaria Wirkkala, Carlos Garaicoa, Dilek Winchester, Andrea Bowers, Georgios Xenos among others. She was the author and editor of many catalogues, essays and monographs.

The EMST expressed its deep sorrow at her passing: “The contribution of Anna Kafetsi was pivotal to the development of the history of modern and contemporary art, curatorial practice, and cultural institutions in Greece. Through her work and intellectual vision, she fundamentally shaped the way we understand contemporary art today, as well as the public role of its institutions.”

Among the artists who paid their respects to Anna Kafetsi was the internationally renowned choreographer and director Dimitris Papaioannou: “Farewell, Ms. Kafetsi. You fought so that we could finally have a museum of contemporary art in Greece. The period when the museum was housed in the stunning Athens Conservatory building will remain for me the most exemplary example of layout and hospitality in Athenian modernism. […]“I thank you for that elegant promise of that moment.”