“ATHENS:AM Extended” at the new METACOSMOI space: An immersive installation narrating stories of the city after midnight

The exhibition “ATHENS:AM Extended” is presented from May 5 to May 20, 2026, at the new METACOSMOI space in the center of Athens, inviting the public into a contemporary, multimedia experience that combines photography, AI, AR, VR technologies, projections, and video. It is an immersive installation that transports visitors into the pulsating yet poetic world of the Athenian night.

“ATHENS:AM Extended” marks the evolution of the photographic project “ATHENS:AM” by photographer Thanasis Karatzas and is realized in collaboration with director and multimedia creator Vyron Nikolopoulos. The exhibition transforms the original photographic material into a staged, interactive experience that narrates stories of the city after midnight.

At the core of the project are 88 black-and-white photographs, a compelling collection of images from the period 2008–2022, capturing the intangible poetry of Athens and the unique social fabric that unfolds at night. This material also formed the basis of the homonymous photobook, published in 2024 by the Italian publishing house 89 Books and presented at major international events such as Paris Photo Festival (2024), Photo London (2025), and Rotterdam Photo (2026).

In its exhibition form, the project “ATHENS:AM” brings photography into dialogue with AR and VR applications, video projections, and installations, creating a multilayered experience centered on the Athenian night. Through Augmented Reality technology, static images are activated, gaining movement, sound, and color, transforming the visit into a participatory narrative where the viewer becomes part of the work.

The exhibition “ATHENS:AM Extended” inaugurates METACOSMOI, a specially designed venue for multimedia exhibitions in the heart of Athens. The space’s symbolic relationship with the city enhances the overall experience, proposing an upgraded artistic and conceptual mapping of the urban night. The venue is accessible to people with disabilities.

The exhibition “ATHENS:AM Extended” is held under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens and is part of the This is Athens City Festival 2026 program.