1979: The Macedonian Centre for Contemporary Art is founded.

1982: Georgios Filippou allows the association to use a wing of the Filkeram-Johnson factory to house its collection and mount its first exhibitions.

1984: Alexandros Iolas donates works from his collection to form the core of a museum of contemporary art in Thessaloniki.

1992: Helexpo offers one of the International Fair pavilions for the museum's temporary exhibitions, and the museum moves into the city centre.

1994: The Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art is founded.

1997: A new wing is built with funding from Thessaloniki '97, the Organisation for the Cultural Capital of Europe.

1999: Helexpo offers a plot of land for another new wing, to be built with funding from the European Investment Bank, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Culture.

2002: The MMCA now has a surface area of 4,000 square metres, with new exhibition spaces, a library, a multipurpose room, art workshops, and a cafe.