Seeing the Invisible, Athens Botanical Garden

Seeing the Invisible was an international exhibition of contemporary art presented at the National Garden of Athens between October 2022 and September 2023, organised by Outset Greece in collaboration with the City of Athens. The exhibition brought to Athens one of the most ambitious projects dedicated to artworks created through augmented reality, inviting audiences to encounter contemporary art within a historic natural landscape.

Presented simultaneously across ten botanical gardens worldwide, the exhibition featured thirteen augmented reality works by leading international artists, exploring the evolving relationship between art, technology, nature, and environmental awareness. For its presentation in Athens, the exhibition included a fourteenth work, Nea Zoi (New Life) by Greek artist Lukia Alavanou, commissioned and funded by Outset Greece, and presented exclusively in the National Garden.

Accessible through a dedicated mobile application, the artworks were experienced along the Garden’s pathways and emblematic sites, encouraging visitors to explore the space through a layered interaction between the physical environment and digital intervention. By situating these works within botanical gardens, Seeing the Invisible foregrounded questions of sustainability, ecological responsibility, and minimal environmental impact, while offering a distinctly “phygital” experience that unfolds only through physical presence.

Through its presentation in Athens, Seeing the Invisible positioned the National Garden as part of a global network of cultural sites engaging with contemporary artistic practices, while reinforcing Outset Greece’s commitment to supporting international dialogue and the visibility of contemporary art within the Greek public realm.