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Today, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the launch of “Greek Art Now,” a project aimed at digitizing and showcasing the collections of seven leading Greek museums through Google Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.
During the event at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Prime Minister engaged in a discussion with Amit Sund, Director of Google’s Cultural Institute. The conversation was moderated by Giorgia Abeltino, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Google in Greece, Cyprus, and Malta.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister stated:
Firstly, I would like to thank and congratulate the Google team, the Ministry of Culture, and everyone who contributed to this remarkable project. I know it took significant effort to reach our current stage.
I believe this project highlights several of our priorities at the intersection of arts and culture. The first, which I think has already been mentioned, is that when people think of Greece, they often visualize the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and our classical heritage, which are foundational to the understanding of the modern Western world. We often overlook modern and contemporary art, which is a pity that many who visit this application will come to realize, as Greece has a vibrant and contemporary artistic legacy that this initiative showcases.
It has also been a priority for my government to ensure that we emphasize modern and contemporary art. Firstly, through the opening of this beautiful museum, which took 20 years to complete. It has truly become the hub of a lively modern art scene, attracting visitors from around the world and hosting stunning exhibitions while drawing significant donations from contemporary art collectors.
We have top-tier contemporary art collectors, and we want them to do more to support our country. The National Gallery was completed—an exceptional building housing a wonderful collection, made possible through the hard work of our government. Thus, demonstrating to people that Greece is not only about our glorious past but also about the present and the future has always been a vital aspect of our cultural policy.
I believe the second aspect, which you already mentioned, is the connection between art and technology. The tools we have today are incredibly exciting. All of this is highlighted in what you just showed us regarding accessibility, whether you are in Greece or abroad, in education, in curatorial work. What you see here is not just images of objects uploaded to an app or website. The curators thought deeply about how you can truly view a piece of art through a technological lens.
This, in a way, gives us a new dimension. It’s not merely about visiting a museum and seeing a painting or a sculpture. I particularly appreciate the educational aspects, the puzzles, and the interactive potential, especially with younger audiences. Ultimately, these exhibitions and items tell stories, reflecting many of the events that have occurred in Greece in recent years, especially within the contemporary art scene.
Greece became an art laboratory during the crisis. This was expected, as significant upheavals are reflected in our cultural production. As a country progresses, I think one can get a fair idea of where we stand today and where we’re heading in the future. How can we encourage more young artists to gain greater exposure? In the past, a young artist needed access to a significant gallery abroad. That is no longer the case. Technology allows artists to showcase their work and reach a global audience more effectively.
This project meets all the requirements. So, what can I say? Congratulations.
Regarding the impact of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, on artistic creation and its future, Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted:
I believe this is an exciting and highly complex question, as on one hand, we need to protect artists’ rights in a world where digital images often circulate unchecked. However, what I find most intriguing is the question already being posed. Artificial intelligence is already creating art. What does this mean for the future of art, and how do we approach a world where what we previously viewed as a human-exclusive act—artistic creation, language, speech, writing—is no longer the case?
This raises profound ethical questions; however, we are no longer the only ones on this planet capable of creating art. Certainly, many questions remain unanswered for now, but it is a challenge on how we will approach this new landscape that also necessitates a completely different mindset.
For now, we should reflect on how crucial it is to equip all our schools—while we often talk about artificial intelligence and future technologies, we must not forget that even the fundamental technologies we have today can bring about change. Currently, all our public schools from the fifth grade and above are equipped with interactive boards.
Thus, art lessons can now utilize this material. Imagine the interest we can generate, especially among younger children, compared to what used to be just another boring lesson that seldom engaged anyone. I believe we are thus offering a vast array of educational tools while ensuring accessibility for all, just as the work you are doing does.
This may not be the right setting to discuss artificial intelligence in depth, but what I can say is that in Greece, we view technology as an opportunity to propel the country toward a significant leap in productivity, addressing a substantial loss of ground stemming from a decade-long crisis.
Starting from basic digital services to more complex artificial intelligence tools, this is particularly relevant in sectors like healthcare and education where AI can lead to greater transformations. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this.
On the intersection of technology and culture, and its implications for tourism, the Prime Minister remarked:
This perspective is essentially what makes Athens and Greece so fascinating, as there is this interaction and the incredible dynamism emerging from a city that may not be the best-built or the most beautiful in objective terms, although beauty is, of course, highly subjective. It is precisely this energy and dynamism, in my view, that exists not just in Athens but in Greece today, that also provides opportunities for new forms of artistic expression.
When discussing technology as a means for better understanding, especially our artistic past, I believe very interesting developments and applications are already occurring with the Acropolis Museum, as well as the future high-quality augmented reality applications, all of which foster a deeper understanding. If you see something and ask, “What was it like?” and we are not entirely sure, we try and, naturally, we cannot do this without archaeologists. But imagine the educational opportunities. Your next task would be to look at the Parthenon, see what is there. Now, give it to a child and ask them, “Imagine, how would you have done it?”
How would you create what is missing, essentially? Because what you have is a puzzle with missing pieces. I won’t mention that these should not be a puzzle with missing pieces, since they ought to be here anyway, at the Acropolis Museum. We’ll discuss that another time. But this historical and archaeological need makes you more curious to understand what existed there if you have the tools to design, recreate, and project it onto what you have.
There is a significant community of startups focused on art and culture, alongside various applications that can be beneficial. And certainly, as you mentioned, the high-resolution cameras and the ability to view artworks from different angles are important. However, at the end of the day, what we want is to utilize these tools as an opportunity for people to come and see the museum on-site. Many may not be able to do so in person. Yet, we also find that typically people have an additional reason to come.
The reality is that, given our cultural heritage, we do not attract enough visitors who come to Greece for culture. We have more visitors who come for the natural beauty, the sea, and the sun. When we think about expanding our tourist season and attracting more visitors, Athens is becoming a year-round destination. One reason is the many activities available, not only at the Acropolis Museum or the Archaeological Museum, which will be a new flagship project, but also the private institutions that are active.
And of course, I reiterate what I mentioned earlier, which is extremely important: collectors of contemporary and modern art. Dimitris Daskalopoulos has donated part of his collection to the Museum of Contemporary Art. We have many others whom I encourage to do the same, and some of them have already started creating their own foundations and organizations. All of this, I believe, positions Athens and Thessaloniki as cities of great interest.
Speaking of technology, art, and cultural heritage, one must visit the Thessaloniki Metro, which is truly unique in how modern infrastructure has been integrated with what was essentially a significant archaeological excavation. Without Minister Mendoni, this project would never have come to fruition. Now it is likely the most beautiful subway in the world because technology and modern engineering allow us to achieve these things.
Regarding what is required for Greece and Europe to seize the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister emphasized:
I would say talent, robust databases, and a smart regulatory framework. Do we have a role to play? Yes. In terms of talent, Greece has a strong representation in the global ecosystem of top AI scientists, many of whom have helped shape our AI strategy.
Data. How can you create well-curated data sets, with centralized management and the right regulatory framework to enable the development of new AI applications? I must also mention infrastructure and cheap energy. Many data centers are currently being constructed in Greece, as we already have access to relatively inexpensive renewable energy.
Regarding regulation and governance, our government is establishing a team in my office to explore how AI applications can enhance productivity in the public sector. The idea is that AI will not replace human involvement but will support it to be more productive.
When discussing regulation, it is not only a Greek issue but also a European one. We aim to strike the right balance between not “stifling” innovation while ensuring we remain aligned with our European values and particularly protect the most vulnerable.
Concerning screen time, I would prefer children and teens spend time with this application rather than others, without naming specific ones. So how can we reward our children for spending time on these types of applications compared to others?
This is also a question for tech companies, as we cannot ignore the reality we already face concerning the mental health of children due to excessive and addictive exposure to certain social media algorithms.
This is an area where I see Greece can play a significant role at the European level.
So, I have an idea that I want to share publicly with you. I was thinking, as I discussed accessibility with the Minister, that there is a small corner in Greece where half the world’s population will never gain access. This is Mount Athos, the Athos Peninsula, with 20 monastic communities, where currently and for the visible future, women will not be permitted entry, as has been the case for a thousand years. I do not judge this, but it is unlikely to change.
Thus, there you have the opportunity to showcase something of immeasurable value that half the world’s population will never see simply because they will never have access. This could be the next project and would be of particular interest.
