The Benaki Museum is honored to announce the generous dona4on of an extraordinary collection of 59 Playground & Toy models and drawings from Art for the World (AFTW). This collection, created by acclaimed contemporary artists and architects such as Vito Acconci, Andreas Angelidakis, Alberto BiageH, Stefano Boccalini, Atelier van Lieshout, Noritoshi Hirakawa, Shirazeh Houshiary, Alfredo Jaar, Martand Khosla, Joseph Kosuth, Toni Morgan, Maria Papadimitriou, Luca Pancrazzi, Teresa Serrano, and Nari Ward, among others, represents a significant addi4on to the Benaki’s esteemed collec4ons.

This gift complements the Benaki Museum’s collection of toys and childhood artefacts from all ages and countries. Together, these collec4ons blend tradi4onal play objects with forward-looking artists, installations, resonating deeply with the Benaki Museum’s mission of promoting learning, social engagement, and creativity.

Playgrounds & Toys is a global project aimed at all the world’s children, with a particular focus on those in difficult conditions. This collection emphasises the importance of play as both a formative and restorative activity that fosters social bonds, rebuilds trust, and promotes inclusivity through collective engagement.

Each work has been carefully designed by artists and architects to prioritise child safety, emotional appeal, and adaptability, accommodating the diverse cultural and geographical needs of different communities. Constructed from affordable, locally sourced materials, these structures also align with sustainable development principles, underscoring AFTW’s commitment to creating meaningful, lasting impacts through art.

A temporary exhibi4on of the material in the dona4on is being prepared and will be presented in one of the Benaki Museum’s venues, with plans to explore the possibility of a permanent, full-scale installa4on of one of these unique crea4ons in the garden of the Benaki Toy Museum on the Athenian seafront.