From June 26 to July 3, 2026, the Greek Embassy in London will present the exhibition “Odyssey” by painter Markos Kampanis—a contemporary visual journey through the world of the Homeric epic, one of the masterpieces of ancient Greek literature and world literature.

The exhibition will be open to the public daily from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (except on Thursday, July 2, when it will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), with the artist in attendance.

Kambanis’s “Odyssey” is a series of works inspired by the Homeric epic, which is reinterpreted through the artist’s contemporary visual language, creating a pictorial journey that traverses myth, memory, and the mapping of the imagination.

As art historian Girogos Mylonas notes in the exhibition catalog, the artist approaches Odysseus’s journey through a personal geography, where the myth, its interpretation, and a contemporary perspective are interwoven.

Exhibition Highlight

The exhibition is organized around a four-volume art book created by Markos Kampanis, drawing with charcoal and ink on a digital reproduction of the 15th-century manuscript of the Homeric Odyssey, Harley MS 6325, which belongs to the British Library’s collection.

Homer’s Odyssey: a story that continues to inspire

Homer’s Odyssey is considered one of the foundational works of world literature.

For Greece, the Homeric epics are the oldest surviving works in the Greek language, having had a decisive influence on the formation of the country’s cultural identity. As Nobel Prize-winning poet George Seferis, a former resident of the Embassy Residence in London, wrote: “From the time Homer spoke until today, we speak, breathe, and sing in the same language.”

Themes such as the relationship with the sea, nostalgia, exile, and longing for the homeland remain alive in the Greek collective experience and in contemporary culture.

Internationally, the epic continues to inspire translations and adaptations in literature, theater, film, and the visual arts, with a new film adaptation expected this summer. Markos Kampanis’s work is part of this ongoing and global creative dialogue with the Homeric epic.

About the exhibition

Markos Kampanis began his engagement with the Odyssey in 2018, developing an ongoing visual series inspired by the Homeric epic. His work engages with classical reception, archaeological interpretation, and the history of the text’s transmission.

The series was first presented in 2025 at the Ghika Gallery of the Benaki Museum and includes paintings, artist’s books, and cartographic compositions that “trace” the journeys of Odysseus and Telemachus.

Visitors can obtain their free tickets and find more information about the exhibition via the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/odyssey-imaginary-cartographies-by-markos-kampanis-tickets-1990558052720?aff=oddtdtcreator

Artist’s Bio

Markos Kampanis was born in Athens in 1955 and studied painting in London. Working across painting, printmaking, illustration and mural art, he has exhibited widely in Greece and internationally. A major retrospective exhibition of his work was presented in 2023 at the National Library of Greece in Athens. His Odyssey series was exhibited at the Benaki Museum in Athens in 2025.

Photos of the exhibited works are from the presentation of the exhibition at the Benaki Museum, Athens. © Christos Simatos