“Memory and Courage” Exhibition
17 – 19 June 2026
11:00 – 20:00 daily
Venue: Stelios Foundation Conference Hall, Plaka (22 Kydathinaion Street)
Refugee Week Greece 2026 welcomes “Memory and Courage“, an exhibition that honours the diverse perspectives and experiences around the concept of courage and the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The exhibition is organized by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Coordination Center of the Municipality of Athens on Migrants and Refugees (ACCMR) and We Are Community on 17, 18 and 19 June 2026 at the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall in Plaka (22 Kydathinaion Street). The exhibition is supported by the Stelios Haji-Ioannou Foundation,which provides the venue free of charge and contributes financially to its execution. Admission is free and the exhibition will be open for the public from 11:00 to 20:00.
The exhibition brings together UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, photo archives and newly commissioned artworks by diaspora artists, inspired by everyday acts of hope, resilience and humanity, to explore how courage is lived, remembered and shared across communities.
Four newly commissioned artworks by artists with refugee, migrant or diaspora backgrounds, presented with the support of ACCMR, meet UNHCR’s historical photo archive during Refugee Week Greece 2026.
Born from the ashes of the Second World War, the Refugee Convention is the main international legal instrument for the protection of people forced to flee their homes. Visitors are invited to discover rare photographic material that documents major forced displacement movements over the past decades, as well as UNHCR’s evolving humanitarian work in support of people forced to flee.
At the heart of the exhibition are four works by artists with migrant, refugee or diaspora backgrounds, presented with the support of ACCMR; namely Alina Kashitsyna, Safaa Odah and Christopher Lappas, Hamza Matyaqubov, and Aggelos Barai.The artists were selected through an open call that gathered an impressive number of participants, with almost 40 applications. Through different art forms and creative approaches, the works reflect diverse perspectives and experiences around movement, displacement, identity and the concept of “belonging”, while they are inextricably linked to the theme of this year’s Refugee Week festival, “Courage”.
The opening event of the exhibition will take place on 17 June, from 18:00 to 20:00, with panel discussions, followed by a festive closing event on 19 June, marking the last day of the exhibition. Parallel workshops will be also held in the venue of the exhibition with the aim to promote dialogue, creative expression and community engagement.
“Memory and Courage” invites us to get in touch with personal and collective stories that inspire, to reflect and to actively participate in an experience that bridges art and memory with current social realities.
We look forward to welcoming you!