CHEAPART: A Continuously Evolving Organization

CHEAPART was founded in 1995 as one of Greece's first artist-run galleries and established as a Non-Profit Cultural Organization in 1999. For over a quarter of a century, it has maintained a continuous presence, helping to shape an entire era through an innovative program that has become a model for future generations.

Its significance lies not only in the exhibitions, but above all in the organization's capacity to adjust to shifting economic and social circumstances, allowing CHEAPART to remain continuously engaged and at the forefront of the artistic community. CHEAPART's most important contribution has been the genuine support of emerging artists from diverse disciplines and their integration into the artistic field. More than 750 exhibitions and cultural productions have been presented, including participation in the 2004 São Paulo Biennial, ARTmART at the Vienna Kuenstlerhaus, as well as international exhibitions developed through CAMP! Contemporary Art Meeting Point, TAF | The Art Foundation, and the ArtWall Project Space. Since 1995, CHEAPART has collaborated with nearly the entire active artistic community in Greece.

CHEAPART has established an international exhibition network, enabling artists from both the local and global art scene to experiment with new ideas and present their work to a broad audience. It serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and the incubation of future collaborations. By partnering with institutions, organizations, and cultural bodies of international visibility and stature, CHEAPART develops and implements a comprehensive program promoting contemporary art and culture. This includes group and solo exhibitions, festivals, and artistic projects in Greece and abroad. CHEAPART is a rare example of a contemporary Greek cultural model that has been successfully exported abroad, retaining its defining characteristics. Its success is rooted in strong ties to the local scene and the communities that integrate its programs into their cultural landscape.

Among its major initiatives, CHEAPART designed and organized the Back to Athens International Art Meeting, which since 2012 has shaped an artistic pathway through Athenian districts, historic buildings, and urban sites. From Kotzia Square (2012-2014), to the Exarchia square and neighborhood (2016-2017), to the Commercial Triangle of Athens (2018 and 2020), to the Isaia Mansion (2021-today), artists, cultural practitioners, art lovers, and the wider public participate in this major art event aimed at visually mapping the city.

CHEAPART also designed and implemented the Athens Intersection program in collaboration with Athens Trigono, as part of the revitalization of the Athenian Commercial Triangle (a City of Athens project funded exclusively by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation). Athens Intersection realized more than 60 exhibitions and public-space interventions in both public areas and abandoned buildings, attracting more than 15,000 visitors who until then were unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Athens Intersection continues its artistic exploration, having reached four of Athens' most vibrant and iconic districts. In 2025, CHEAPART co-organized Open Art Link, a major international gathering of 350 artists and curators in Piraeus. Since 2021, CHEAPART organises Zig Zag Festival, an international contemporary art initiative that connects Greek and international artists with the local traditions, communities, and visitors of Greece’s hidden and unexplored landscapes.