Programme
The first route of the museum ship will be the Mediterranean, an area of millennia of history and exchange, which has always mobilized and nourished the inspiration of artists, and naturally invites intercultural dialogue.
Discover the programme of activities on the quayside and in the towns: performances, concerts, conferences, screenings, workshops, meetings and other events.
Ibiza
Cascais
Le Havre
Tunis
Saint-Malo
Upcoming events

The underwater divines are flying and floating and melting with us
A visual and sonic symphony that immerses us in the mysteries of the deep sea, while also becoming an ode to imagination and creation. Based on a film by the artist Rosa Tharrats aboard a ship on an expedition with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the performance includes a soundtrack created in situ, in a process of dramatic and musical improvisation led by musician Mau Boada (Esperit!), singer Clara Enrich-Genestar, and poet Gabriel Ventura.

Grief and grievance: listening as learning
On this occasion, Ikram Bouloum reappropriates her technique as a selector to present "Grief and grievance: listening as learning", a listening session in which she traces a journey through different musical genres and sound archives, entering into dialogue with her referents and opening up space for new superpositions to address questions of poetic belonging.

Winds know what maps have forgotten
”Winds know what maps have forgotten” is a hands-on, immersive workshop where sound, maps, and imagination meet. Participants inhabit a large floor map of the Mediterranean to create wind-inspired soundscapes, stories and speculative narratives.
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La Bissaperie
La Bissaperie is a collective invocation of Frantz Fanon's memory through a shared reading of his texts and the preparation of bissap, a hibiscus flower drink. I propose a friendly and horizontal meeting place focused on the revolutionary ideas of the thinker and a platform for people to connect with their identity, heritage and community.

Fiction and Lies. The Role of the Novel in the World of Post-Truth
In our time of fake news, disinformation, and political manipulation, the difference between truth and lies seems increasingly unclear. Artificial intelligence can distort our perceptions, and social media encloses us in bubbles that destroy the very idea of a shared reality. In this world, what place does fiction occupy—the old craft of telling stories that never happened? Can novels contain more truth than reality as we see it? The Colombian novelist Juan Gabriel Vásquez proposes a conversation about our relationship with invented stories in an increasingly uncertain world.
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Pulso y Horizonte (Pulse and Horizon)
“Pulso y Horizonte” is an instrumental project led by Pedro Javier González, one of the most respected guitarists on the contemporary Spanish music scene. Flamenco, jazz, world music and improvisation converge in an open, celebratory proposal inspired by the Mediterranean, where rhythmic pulse and collective dialogue shape a vibrant and highly communicative musical experience.

The Drought. An oasis.
The Drought: An Oasis is a contemporary flamenco performance that brings together dance, live guitar, and flamenco singing (cante) to explore themes of water, drought, and migration. Originally created in Southern Spain, this new version of the piece is now presented in Catalonia, while keeping its strong Andalusian roots.
The show reflects on the historical impact of Francoist hydraulic policies, including the Badajoz Decree, and on the migration of Andalusian working-class communities who moved to Catalonia to work in industry and construction. These histories are translated on stage through flamenco music and movement. Some of the lyrics are sung in Catalan, alongside Spanish, as a symbolic gesture that connects flamenco with the linguistic and cultural reality of Catalonia and Barcelona. On stage, the performance features flamenco dance, live guitar, and cante, combined with a strong visual dimension. The final part of the piece takes the form of a “final de fiesta” inspired by Rumba Catalana, bringing collective energy, rhythm, and celebration to the stage.

Disco Atlas (with accompanying artists)
The concept is centered on Disco Atlas’ own artistic project, in which he invites artists to join as surprise guests. By collaborating with Gnawa musicians—specifically emerging performers rather than established Maâlems—Disco Atlas highlights how the music he plays can organically merge with live instrumentation. The aim is to demonstrate that this sound is flexible, alive, and open to reinterpretation through live performance, creating a unique and spontaneous experience each time.

Breakwater: drift through forgotten spaces
Walking through the port and its surroundings based on a reflection on the sea as a forgotten space and its limits. The breakwater at sea and on land. The itinerary will unfold in dialogue with the notions of the artist and photographer Alan Sekula, maritime ex-votos, and urban transformation.

Breakwater: drift through forgotten spaces
Walking through the port and its surroundings based on a reflection on the sea as a forgotten space and its limits. The breakwater at sea and on land. The itinerary will unfold in dialogue with the notions of the artist and photographer Alan Sekula, maritime ex-votos, and urban transformation.

Seitons Masdeu Hola i Adeu
Seitons Masdeu Hola i Adeu is the official presentation of a vinegar-marinated anchovy company founded by the artist, daughter of the last fish auctioneer (crying out bids aloud) in Arenys de Mar, her hometown. The piece sits somewhere between a performative meal, a 1990s television program, and a theatrical work.

Stories from the Periphery, told by Silvia Albert Sopale and Kouyate Ansoumane
A collection of stories from diverse origins, told to broaden perspectives, open hearts, and bring souls closer together. All of these stories share a common thread: the presence of Afro-descendant people as protagonists. Brave, resilient, and joyful individuals who serve as mirrors for us to reflect on and imagine our own lives.
Past events

Mikołaj Sobczak, Gossips. Bar Tore Confidential
Extending his exploration of queer migration, exile, and underground networks, Sobczak weaves together personal and historical encounters, using gossip as a fleeting yet powerful means of community-building and rewriting the past.

Bar Tore
Located in the heart of the village, Bar Tore embraces the many underground stories of bars as alternative spaces for community formation in Albania and Kosovo. Referencing iconic venues such as Bar Iliria in Tirana and Bar Janis in Prizren, the bar serves as both a site of artistic activation and a node of social memory.

Flaka Haliti - Things Keep Falling to Earth
Based on subjective experiences, Flaka Haliti keeps on looking at our fragmented, contradictory present. At the centre of her artistic practice is the individual and the question, how identity is constructed in a global fluid militant world. The three billboards displayed at the Art Explora Festival in Durrës follow an "ethics of proximity" and reference the contradictions of our ambivalent contemporary reality, addressing socio-political issues such as migration and racism.

Free shuttles
Free shuttles are available: Departures every 30 minutes from Durrës town hall. Everyday from 10:30am to closing time (see programme).
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Experiences on board the museum boat
Experience on reservation. Duration: 45 min.

The Present immersive exhibition
Experience on reservation. Duration: 1h00

LIMAN - Electro-traditional music from Turkey
Liman is the exceptional meeting of 3 great musicians from the current Turkish scene: Cem Yildiz, Ramazan Sesler and Ismail Pesluk. Together, they propose a veritable ‘electro-traditional’ exploration based on the rich heritage of Turkish folk music, from Istanbul to the shores of the Black Sea, via the valleys of Anatolia and the Aegean coast.

Elsa Lila - Solo Concert
Elsa Lila, one of Albania’s most beloved and renowned voices, will perform live at the Art Explora Festival in a rare and unmissable concert. Known for her captivating vocal range and emotive performances, Elsa has been a significant figure in both the Albanian and international music scenes. Accompanied by a piano, she will perform a selection of her celebrated repertoire in a truly intimate and memorable performance in the Port of Durrës.

Oda Haliti - Dj Set
Oda Haliti is an internationally acclaimed DJ and music producer based between Prishtina and Berlin. She blends old-school vibes with innovative beats, creating a unique sound that combines global rhythms with local influences.

Minimim
One of the pioneers of the electronic music scene in Albania, Minimim is a promoter, provocateur, aesthetician, and an irreplaceable force in the country’s cultural life. He is the co-founder and resident DJ of Discobox and PepperOn, two well-known spaces, and is one-third of the All Shadows trio. With an active presence spanning over two decades, Minimim is a regular participant in significant local and international festivals.

Kairo Urovi - The Boy With No Name
Printed in large-scale, paneled vinyl, this photograph is displayed at the entrance of the Port of Durrës, inviting visitors into the image itself and into the festival through this shared, suspended moment.

RAFFAELA NALDI ROSSANO - Support Structure for Antro della Sibilla: To hold your dreams
With this spatial intervention, Raffaela Naldi Rossano creates an oracle portal between Durrës and Cuma, both significant Mediterranean sites. The work mirrors protective structures recently introduced at the Antro, addressing the vulnerability of historical sites.

Bora Baboci - Fwd: Reminder
Fwd: Reminder is a newly created installation by Bora Baboçi, reflecting on the areas by the ports and trade routes, where exchanges and negotiations shift the fragile boundaries along the Mediterranean coast.

Radio Alhara
Founded in March 2020, Radio Alhara is an online radio station based in Bethlehem, Palestine. Initially emerging as a response to global lockdowns, it has since grown into a dynamic cultural platform that transcends borders. Rooted in community, resistance, and artistic exchange, the station unites DJs, musicians, and thinkers from around the world, fostering a space for sonic experimentation and political discourse.

Iris Touliatou - Aesthetic services circa 2025, 2025
For three days, Aesthetic services circa 2025, 2025, a hairdressing public service is offered free of charge for the citizens of Durrës. Conceived as a conceptual and performative work by artist Iris Touliatou, the project reimagines acts of care, intimacy, and exchange within urban and institutional frameworks.
Frequently asked questions
The Art Explora Festival will take place from spring 2024 to spring 2026 in various Mediterranean cities.
Festival events take place both on the museum boat's quay and in heritage and/or emblematic sites in the stopover towns. To find out all about upcoming events in your town, consult our Agenda.
The Art Explora Festival offers a rich, multi-disciplinary program including visits to the museum ship, exhibition pavilions, virtual reality experiences, artistic performances, concerts, lectures, film screenings, creative workshops and meetings. You'll be able to discover local and international artists, as well as thinkers and cultural players exploring contemporary themes related to the Mediterranean region. To find out all about upcoming events in your city, consult our Agenda.
All Festival events are free of charge. Please note, however, that some events - such as workshops - require a reservation via the ticket office. Please consult the page dedicated to each event for more information on times and booking procedures.
To ensure that everyone has the best possible experience at the Festival, we have drawn up a visitors' charter listing a few good practices.
Yes, the boat is freely accessible on site. However, you can pre-book your time online on our website.
For reasons of safety and preservation of the boat, high heels and stilettos may not be worn on the boat.
To take part in the workshops and meetings offered during the Festival, you'll generally need to register in advance. Information on how to register will be available on the dedicated event page, where you can also find details of times and how to take part.
Yes, the Art Explora Festival also offers child-friendly activities, such as creative workshops specially designed for young participants. Take a look at the program to find out about events and activities for children and families.
The museum boat is open to all free of charge. To find out on which quay it will be moored, or to pre-book your slot, consult the page dedicated to your town.
Appropriate facilities have been set up on the Festival site for the reception and access of people with reduced mobility. The boat is equipped with a 1m-wide ramp, accessible to people with reduced mobility, but may require the accompaniment of a third party due to its gradient of over 6%. Access to the aft deck and immersive exhibition is possible. However, the upper deck is not accessible. Please inform us in advance of any special accessibility requirements, so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Thank you for your interest in the Art Explora Festival! To find out more about our volunteer opportunities and to apply, please visit our "Become a volunteer"section of our website. There you'll find all the information you need about the roles available and the application procedure. We look forward to meeting you!
We're delighted to consider new partnerships for the Art Explora Festival. To find out how, please visit our dedicated page or write to us at contact@artexplora.org
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