Kostas Tasoulas announces permanent museum of Greek cartooning at former tobacco factory

During the opening ceremony of the retrospective exhibition “The Post-Junta Era of Cartoonists” at Syntagma metro station, Kostas Tasoulas, President of the Hellenic Parliament, announced plans to establish a permanent Museum of Greek Cartooning. The museum will be housed in the former Public Tobacco Factory on Lenorman Street, adding to the cultural landscape of Athens.

Tasoulas highlighted the unique role cartoonists play in offering insight, stating, “Cartoonists understand far more than most and capture it with their pens—biting, but not cruel.” He added that exhibitions like this help overcome the often over-serious attitude in public discourse, offering a more constructive, critical perspective than traditional commentary.

Speaking to politicians, Tasoulas noted that cartoons are not a threat but a welcome critique. “Cartoonists often help us understand ourselves better,” he remarked, underlining the positive role humor can play in political self-awareness.

One of Greece’s most celebrated cartoonists, Vasilis Mitropoulos (known as Bas), presented Tasoulas with a drawing titled “The Leaders of Greece Since 1944,” depicting Greek Prime Ministers from Konstantinos Tsaldaris to Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The exhibition, organized by the Club of Greek Cartoonists under the patronage of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and supported by the Hellenic Parliament and the Ministry of Culture, features 423 cartoons by 67 artists. The artworks capture 50 years of Greek democracy, from the fall of the Junta in 1974 to the present, blending historical events with humor and satire.

The exhibition runs until October 19th, with free entry from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

In the introduction to the accompanying catalog, Tasoulas emphasized the role of political cartoons in shaping public memory and understanding. He called the exhibition a “guide” for future generations, offering both humor and historical insight into Greece’s post-junta democracy.