June 2025

When most travelers think of Rhodes, they imagine cobblestone alleys, Crusader castles, and sun-drenched beaches. Few expect to find a modernist sanctuary tucked away within the medieval walls of the Old Town. And yet, the Museum of Modern Greek Art of Rhodes stands as one of Greece’s most underrated cultural gems.

Founded in 1962, the museum houses one of the richest public collections of modern Greek art outside Athens, with over 1,500 works. From the vibrant colors of Yiannis Gaitis to the abstract forms of Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika and the surreal visions of Spyros Vassiliou, the museum offers a powerful visual journey through 20th-century Greece. It includes paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings, many of which were donated by the artists themselves or acquired by the municipality of Rhodes over decades.

But what makes this museum truly special is not just its collection — it’s the setting. Housed in a series of beautifully restored buildings, including an Ottoman bathhouse and neoclassical mansions, the museum offers a dialogue between the past and the present. Here, modern Greek identity unfolds in layers: a Byzantine echo in a brushstroke, a Dodecanese shadow in a sculpture.

Walking through its quiet halls, far from the noise of tourist crowds, visitors are invited to rediscover a side of Rhodes that speaks not only to its ancient grandeur but to its role as a vibrant artistic crossroads in the Aegean.

In a country often defined by its classical heritage, the Museum of Modern Greek Art of Rhodes dares to ask a different question: What does it mean to be modern—and Greek—at the same time?