The Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens. Photo: Shutterstock A major achievement for the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens (EMST): The museum won the "European Art Museum of the Year 2026" award last weekend. The European Academy of Museums presented the award at a ceremony held on Saturday in Alicante, Spain.
The Athens Museum was selected from a shortlist of six candidates from across Europe, which also included major cultural institutions. The finalists were:
Representatives of the Greek EMST Museum at the award ceremony in Spain. Photo: Greek Ministry of CultureIt was also stated that the museum "has become a cultural bridge between Greece, the Eastern Mediterranean region and the world," while supporting contemporary Greek art. Among the additional considerations in choosing the Greek museum was that EMST seeks not only to change the way the audience understands contemporary art, but also the way it looks at its life and the world around it.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni welcomed the award, noting that it was a significant international recognition of Greek culture and Athens' status in the European contemporary art scene. She said the award proves that, alongside its archaeological heritage, Greece also produces and promotes contemporary artistic work on the international stage.