National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST)
The
National Museum of Contemporary Art began its operation in 2000
and, even without premises or collections, immediately started
with exhibitions of mostly critical and experimental character.
In 2000, the long deserted Fix brewery, a remarkable industrial
building in the centre of Athens, created by the architect Takis
Zenetos, was selected as the permanent house of the newly founded
EMST, with the perspective to be reconstructed and thus serve
the edificial and functional demands of the museum. In September
2003, EMST left the temporarily established exhibition space in
the Fix building and transferred its services to a neighboring
building, at 14, Frantzi Steet, so that the reconstruction and
refurbishment works of the former brewery could begin. Since December
2003, exhibitions are also hosted by the new exhibition space
of Megaron Moussikis, the Athens Concert Hall.
Despite
the demolition of one part, the building offered significant unified
spaces of a total of 20.000 square meters and of a total volume
of 90.000 cubic meters which allowed the gathering of the  museum's
main functions such as permanent and periodical exhibitions, administration,
archives, library, an auditorium, laboratories, an art-store,
cafeteria and restaurant.
When
the museum building will have been completed and will open its
doors to the audience, the under construction permanent collections
are presented in periodical exhibitions which bring to the fore
thematic or conceptual nuclei and artistic tendencies or periods.
Among
the basic aims of the National Museum of Contemporary Art are:
the creation of collections of works of contemporary Hellenic
and international art, the promotion and presentation of advanced
and experimental artistic tendencies, the enhancement of the aesthetic
and artistic cultivation of the audience and the development of
scientific research on subjects of contemporary art history and
theory.
Educational
programs for school groups and families, children workshops, tour
for adults and educators' seminars are realized, aiming at contributing
to the discovery of and familiarization with contemporary art,
Greek and international, of all age audiences.
Within
its policy for the development for scientific research, the documentation
of its collections and contemporary art in general, EMST creates
the Artists' Archive. This archive is being constructed from documents
coming from purchases and donations of artists as well as through
the program Oral Stories. The aim of the museum is to develop
into a center of digital documentation for contemporary art, within
the context of the European program 'Information Society'.
Opening hours and admission
Kallirrois Ave. & Am. Frantzi Str. (Former FIX Factory)
Sygrou-Fix
Kostaki stop bus 134, 135, 136, 137, B2, 106, 126, A2, E2T, E2
express, 040
Kallirrois stop bus 450 & 550 
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