Julia Dimakopoulou, an iconic personality of modern Greek art, died at the age of 92. Founder of the historical gallery “Nees Morfes” and ISET, the Institute of Contemporary Greek Art, she played a decisive role in the promotion and promotion of contemporary art in post-war Greece.

Julia Dimakopoulou founded the “Nees Morfes” gallery on Valaoritou Street, which operated from 1959 until 2009, promoting established and emerging artists, with exhibitions and collaborations with curators and art historians.

Together with the main contributors to the gallery, she founded the Institute of Contemporary Greek Art – of which she was director – with the aim of gathering archival material to record the course of Greek art from 1945 to the present day. iset was donated, in 2022, to the National Gallery as a tribute to the need to preserve and promote contemporary art in Greece. In December 2017, the visual exhibition “Memories” with her works was inaugurated at the Institute.

Julia Dimakopoulou pioneered the creation of Art Athina, the first major contemporary art fair in Greece, which became a reality thanks to her efforts and the Panhellenic Association of Art Galleries, of which she was president for 18 years.

“Dimakopoulos’ legacy is not only the work she left behind, but also her ethos and dedication to art, education and ensuring that the Greek artistic landscape continues to evolve and inspire generations to come,” he said in announcement on Facebook by the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST).