For their second Slow Art Day, the B&E Goulandris Foundation in Athens, Greece, invited all visitors to explore selected works from its permanent Collection and to take part in one or more of their three specially designed mindfulness activities.
On April 5th, 2025 all visitors were welcomed with a special printed slow looking guide (available in both English and Greek) at the Museum’s Reception Desk. This included information and instructions on how to practice slow looking, allowing them to fully engage with four carefully selected works from the permanent Collection:
- “Laughing Man” by Camille Claudel [on the first floor]
- “The Traveller” by Igor Mitoraj [on the second floor]
- “Maria Callas no. 4” by Julian Schnabel [on the third floor]
- “Untitled” by Alexis Akrithakis [on the fourth floor]
Visitors were encouraged to keep and reuse this guide during future museum visits to explore even more works from the Collection in a similar immersive way.
On the same day, art historian, art educator and mindfulness instructor Lydia Petropoulou led three mindfulness activities. The morning mindfulness workshop “I See, I Hear, I Feel, I Paint“ was designed for parents and children aged 6-12. Two mindfulness sessions designed exclusively for adults were then held in the afternoon. Titled “Mindfulness at the Museum“, they took place in the temporary exhibitions gallery where the exhibition “Catch Me” by Nicholas Kontaxis was on display.
What a great design for the day. More museums might decide to imitate what the B&E Goulandris Foundation did here.
At Slow Art Day HQ, we certainly appreciate integrating mindfulness as well as offering activities for both children and adults – and we are excited to see what the B&E Goulandris Foundation come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
– Jessica Jane, Phyl, Ashley, and Johanna
P.S. Check out B&E Goulandris Foundation on their Facebook and Instagram.