In response to Thessaloniki being awarded the status of European Capital of Culture in 1997, an advisory committee was composed to found the State Museum of Contemporary Art. In 1997 the Minister of Culture passed a law in the Parliament for the foundation of this museum. Concurrently, the renovated Moni Lazariston building (an old monastery) was provided to house the museum.
At the same time, questions regarding the acquisition strategy of the Costakis collection arose, and a state committee was formed to evaluate the collection, its purchase by the Greek government, and its installation in Thessaloniki’s new state museum of contemporary art. The agreement was signed by the Costakis family and the museum administration on March 30th 2000, following the establishment of an international committee of specialists who examined the collection, proceeded to appraise its financial and artistic value, and emphasized its authenticity and uniqueness.
The Costakis collection consists of 1275 works of art (paintings, drawings, constructions, and ceramics), by important artists of the Russian avant-garde such as: Kazimir Malevich, Wassily Kandinsky, Liubov Popova, Vladimir Tatlin, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Ivan Kliun, Solomon Nikritin, Olga Rozanova, Varvara Stepanova, Nadezhda Udaltsova, Mikhail Matiushin, and Gustav Klutsis. The collection is representative of all the trends and tendencies of the Russian avant-garde, one of the most interesting periods in international art which flourished during the first three decades of the 20th century.
The State Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the most prominent foundations that hosts works of modern and contemporary art, programmed via a series of six basic thematic aims:
to administer the most significant Russian Avant-Garde Collection outside Russia, the Costakis Collection, by organizing original productions, co-productions and scientific research programmes in Greece and abroad; to record and promote contemporary Greek art as well as the creation and support of common grounds for effective dialogue between Greek artists and artists from Europe and all over the world; to support of the synthesis of the arts, as well as the reinforcement of innovative and alternative artistic suggestions; to generate substantial cooperation and collaborative projects with cultural institutions in Greece, Europe and abroad; to use the most modern digital technologies in all its communication fields, the development of web applications as well as the creation of a web portal; to implement innovative educational programmes as well as access programmes for all social groups.
The core of the activities and the exhibitions of the SMCA is the Costakis Collection of Russian Avant-Garde. The museum has developed an extensive programming through mounting major exhibitions, collaborations and co-productions with modern art museums in Greece and abroad, editing catalogues and organizing international conferences and symposiums.
In 2007 the SMCA organized the 1st Biennale of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki and also held the 2nd Biennale in 2009 aiming at the communication between artists from different geographic points, presenting the work of artists who have difficult access to areas with intense artistic life on the European art scene and seeking to act as a stepping stone that will bring artists closer to Europe.
SMCA presents approximately fifteen projects each year.
Most outstanding projects in recent years:
Light and color in Russian Avant Garde, 8 Sep 2005–Mar 2006.
1st Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art: Heterotopias, 21 May 2007–30 Sep 2007.
Lost Vanguard Found: Synthesis of Architecture and Art in Russia (1915–1935), 9 May 2008–28 Sep 2008.
2nd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art: Praxis-Art in Times of Uncertainty, 24 May 2009-27 Sep 2009.
Rodchenko and Popova: Defining Constructivism, 24 Jun 2009–20 Sep 2009.
SMCA also frequently presents art workshops, performances and film screenings.
SMCA focuses its educational activities on a variety of programs including workshops for children and adults, as well as organized access programs for all social groups.
