Stasis/Ekstasis: The Athens Biennale Enters a New Era in 2027
Athens has never been a city that stands still. Its streets carry layers of history, protest, celebration and reinvention, often all on the same corner. So it feels fitting that the next Athens Biennale takes as its title two ancient Greek words that pull in opposite directions: Stasis/Ekstasis.
The eighth edition of the Biennale opens on 2 April 2027 at the former Public Tobacco Factory of the Hellenic Parliament, and runs until the end of June 2027. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter for one of Europe's most independent art events.
Athens from above, stretching from the Acropolis to the sea. In spring 2027 the city becomes a meeting point for contemporary art.
Two words, one tension
In Greek, stasis means standing still, but it has also long carried the meaning of division and conflict within a community. Ekstasis means, quite literally, to stand outside oneself: a movement beyond the self, toward transformation and intensity.
The exhibition lives in the space between these two states: immobility and crisis on one side, emotion and change on the other. It asks whether artistic practice can still build solidarity and question the certainties of our time, placing historical memory in conversation with contemporary art and lived experience. Few cities could stage that question as naturally as Athens.
A new curator and a new structure
This edition is curated by Thiago de Paula Souza, selected by an international curatorial committee that included Massimiliano Gioni, Katerina Gregos, Stefanie Hessler and Gabi Ngcobo. Artistic director Poka-Yio, one of the Biennale's co-founders, continues to guide its vision.
Behind the scenes, the Biennale is changing shape. After almost two decades as an independent, artist-run initiative, it now has a Board of Trustees, an Advisory Board and a Curatorial Committee. In the words of board co-chair Dakis Joannou, the Biennale is "entering a new phase of institutional maturity." The edition is co-funded by the European Union through the Regional Programme "Attica" 2021–2027.
From "Destroy Athens" to today
Since its first edition, Destroy Athens, in 2007, the Athens Biennale has grown alongside the city's contemporary art scene, occupying unexpected buildings and responding to the social realities around it. Choosing a historic industrial building like the Tobacco Factory continues that tradition of art meeting the real fabric of the city.
Why artists should plan for spring 2027
For artists, writers and curators, a Biennale year is one of the best times to experience Greece. Athens fills with exhibitions, conversations and people from all over the world, and the energy spreads far beyond the capital.
If you are planning a creative journey to Greece in 2027, consider pairing your visit to Athens with time to slow down and make work. Our 2027 residencies in Kavala, in a 17th-century monastery in the Peloponnese and at the Meteora Ceramics Symposium offer exactly that: time, place and community.
At a glance
What: 8th Athens Biennale, Stasis/Ekstasis
When: from 2 April 2027 until the end of June 2027
Where: Former Public Tobacco Factory of the Hellenic Parliament, Athens
Curator: Thiago de Paula Souza · Artistic director: Poka-Yio
Applications for Eutopia's 2027 residencies are open. Apply for free.
