Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete was founded in 1992 as the “L. Kanakakis” Municipal Gallery, following the donation of works by the late Rethymnian painter Lefteris Kanakakis.
From its early years, it established itself as a vital cultural institution in Greece dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary artistic expression.
Over time, the museum was significantly enriched through additional donations from prominent artists and private collectors, expanding its scope across the landscape of modern Greek art. Today, it houses approximately 700 works of contemporary art. A major milestone occurred in 2009, when extensive restoration and expansion work successfully integrated the original Municipal Gallery with the Centre for Contemporary Art (founded in 1995). This optimization broadened the museum’s regional focus and led to its establishment as the fully realized Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete.
The museum is housed in a historic Venetian building in the heart of Rethymno's old town - a structure that functioned as one of the island's first industrial spaces and a soap factory until the 1970s - making it a unique intersection of industrial heritage and contemporary creation. It has gained international recognition, frequently collaborating with institutions worldwide and featuring global talent in its temporary exhibitions.
The permanent collection includes an extensive array of works covering a wide spectrum of the Greek art scene from 1950 to the present day. The core exhibits feature a diverse range of artistic movements, including abstraction, geometry, neo-expressionism, minimalism, conceptual art, photography, and digital art. A dedicated and significant section of the collection features the oil paintings, drawings, and watercolors of Lefteris Kanakakis, representatively displaying all the phases of his influential career.
