The ‘Open Horizons’ exhibition explores diaspora identity through the work of five artists of Greek descent who were active in the United States. It presents 12 works from the National Gallery’s collection, some of which are being shown to the public for the first time.

The exhibition forms part of the Ministry of Culture’s wider plan to transform the Old Customs House into a contemporary exhibition and cultural venue.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that “Open Horizons” continues the productive collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the National Gallery, while also supporting the goal of turning the Old Customs House in Nafplio into a vibrant cultural hub, open to residents and visitors alike.

She noted that the collaboration between the National Gallery and the Greek National Opera confirms the building’s emerging role as a cultural destination of national significance. A new initiative by the Ministry of Culture is also being launched in Nafplio under the name Amymone, after the daughter of Danaus, mother of Nafplios and mythical founder of the city.

“Our investment in the restoration and reuse of the Old Customs House was not simply about preserving an important monument,” Mendoni said. “It was above all about creating a living cultural space, one that hosts high-quality events and connects contemporary creativity with historical memory.”

She added that, every year at the start of summer, the venue will host an exhibition of works from the National Gallery, with the opening accompanied by performances from ensembles of the Greek National Opera.

According to the minister, the current exhibition highlights an important chapter in modern Greek cultural history: the journeys of artists from the Greek diaspora, who carried with them experiences, memories and cultural references linked to their Greek heritage and brought them into the international art scene, making a significant contribution to the development of contemporary American art.

“Their works bring together tradition and innovation, memory and the search for new forms of expression, Greek light and a universal artistic language,” Mendoni said.

She also thanked Olga Mentzafou, President of the National Gallery, Syrago Tsiara, its General Director, and all those who contributed to the exhibition, as well as Giorgos Koumentakis, Artistic Director of the Greek National Opera, for his collaboration with the Ministry of Culture’s initiatives. She expressed confidence that the Amymone Festival would become a distinctive cultural experience for residents and visitors to Nafplio, further strengthening the city’s role as a major cultural destination.

Curated and artistically directed by National Gallery General Director Syrago Tsiara, “Open Horizons” features works by George Constant, born Giorgos Konstantinopoulos, Michalis Lekakis, Theodoros Chios, Theodoros Stamos and Athina Tacha.

The exhibition traces the artistic paths of Greek diaspora artists who, whether as first-generation immigrants or children of immigrants, developed their own visual language and contributed to the evolution of 20th-century American art. Their works reflect a creative reworking of Greek cultural memory, references to mythology and the Greek landscape, as well as a dialogue with the major movements of international modernism.

The event concluded with a musical performance by Zacharias Karounis and a four-member ensemble of traditional instruments. Under the artistic guidance of Giorgos Koumentakis, Artistic Director of the Greek National Opera, they presented a programme of songs from Asia Minor, Macedonia and the Peloponnese, as well as transcriptions from the 19th-century autograph manuscript of Georgios Pilelis-Ioannitis.