Megaro Isaia, Athens, GR

BACK TO ATHENS 12, International Art Meeting 2025:
The Division of Life – a review

25–29 JUNE 2025

ISAIAH MANSION, 65 PATISION, ATHENS, 104 33

Opening: Wed, 25 June 2025, 16–23h
Opening hours: Wed–Fri 16–22h, Sat–Sun 12–22h

Back to Athens 2025 International Art Meeting presents 30 exhibitions, installations, performances and screenings featuring Greek and international artists and curators. BtA 2025 will take place from June 25 to 29 in the heart of Athens’ city center at the monumental Isaiah Mansion, showcasing artists and curators, along with artworks and ideas created during the 2024–2025 season that shape the vibrant contemporary art scene.

Back to Athens 2025, “The Division of Life – A Review”, explores the unique circumstances we are experiencing, where life appears to be divided into the real, the provisional, and the imaginary— the desirable.

Over the past few decades, much of the art production process has grown into an increasingly complex and fragmented process, often loosing from the overall context. The loss of a broader perspective, when paired with the lack of understanding of the meaning behind artistic production leads to occasional misinterpretations, as well as an increasing distance from the work itself. Routine and the lack of a sense of achievement, reduces the artistic work to a “job” whose main goal is to maximize gain with minimal effort, often sacrificing inspiration itself. The art world is a major economic force; however, the lack of a clear strategy and structured promotion limits its growth and the reach of its benefits and positive impact on society. With over ten years of presence in the Athenian contemporary art scene, BtA continues to bridge the gap between artists, artworks, and the public. It provides a deeper understanding of art trends, ideas, individuals, and the works themselves, presented in an annual review that documents these aspects without taking a critical approach. At the same time, it serves as a vital meeting point for artists from Greece and abroad, strengthening their connections and fostering collaboration. BtA extends beyond a mere display of the artworks, emphasizing on the interaction and interplay between the work, the artists and curators, sparking the creation of new ideas.

Back to Athens is an annual review, an outlook on the recent trends and projects collected from the past year. It profiles the critical issues and current social and artistic transformations that shape our contemporary, everyday culture, functioning a vital tool for the development of dialogue and interaction between artists, the public and locals. Since 2012, Back to Athens has created a cultural mapping of Athens by re-opening and revisiting important Athenian buildings and distinctive landmarks that are defined by their own cultural and historical heritage. In this context, each year Back to Athens International Art Meeting chooses to visit locations within the Athenian heart that are characterized by a diversity of backgrounds and cultures.