Dreams come alive in the Cyclades

On the 28th of July 1979 the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation inaugurated the Museum of Contemporary Art in Hora, capital of Andros and birthplace of Basil P. Goulandris. The two founders wished to establish a small contemporary art museum which would be designed and outfitted according to latest museum standards, with a view to house international exhibitions. 

The museum, which has a total floor area of 200 sq. m., was designed by architect Stamos Papadakis, and was intended to exhibit the collection of works by Andriot sculptor, Michael Tombros, which he bequeathed to his native island. The exhibits were further enriched by part of the collection of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation. The increasing attendance of the Athenian public and the inhabitants of Andros, as well as the positive reception of this effort, led to the expansion of the museum to a new building. This new building, situated opposite the old wing and covering a total floor area of 1000 sq. m. was designed by Christos Kontovounisios and was inaugurated on the 20th of July 1986.  

The exterior areas and the garden were designed by Miranda Spiliotopoulou-Vazaka. The architectural integration of the building with its surroundings attained a distinction in the competition "The International Garden and Greenery Exposition" in Osaka, Japan in 1990 and was featured in Contemporary Landscapes of the World.  The Foundation's permanent collection includes more that 300 works by greek and international artists. Part of this collection is exhibited on a rotational basis during most of the year. Every summer since 1986, the museum has been organising temporary exhibitions showing works of major artists of our century.

Every temporary exhibition is accompanied by a round table discussion, a fully illustrated catalogue of the works exhibited, the publication of posters and postcards, film screenings on the life and work of each artist, guided tours and children's workshops. 

The main objective of the museum is to continue to promote Greek and international modern and contemporary art, while seeking to contribute to the current debates on the visual arts as a whole.