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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.
Upcoming events
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Experiences on board the museum boat
Experience on reservation. Duration: 45 min.
Workshop Mastro Sol, in preparation of Mastro Sol, Maja Escher
In this workshop, each participant shapes and creates their own edible form (biscuit-flag) made from biscuit dough that will be suspended as part of Mastro Sol, an installation inspired by vernacular celebrations and the mastros de promessa of the Alentejo region, where circular cakes are traditionally suspended on festive structures. Each form preserves the gesture and intention of the person who made it, becoming part of a collective artwork shaped by many hands. On June 27 at 11:30 am, when Mastro Sol is activated by the public, participants are invited to rediscover their own flag, see how it became part of the final installation, and harvest it to share, offer, or eat.
Caravanserá Workshop
Before the performance (on June 27th), audiences are invited to take part in a participatory workshop where movement, sound, and collective actions gradually shape the world of Caravanserá. Inspired by historical “caravanserais” – places of encounter and exchange –, the workshop creates an informal space where participants of different ages contribute to the atmosphere of the performance, blurring the boundaries between audience and performers.
Workshop Mastro Sol, in preparation of Mastro Sol, Maja Escher
In this workshop, each participant shapes and creates their own edible form (biscuit-flag) made from biscuit dough that will be suspended as part of Mastro Sol, an installation inspired by vernacular celebrations and the mastros de promessa of the Alentejo region, where circular cakes are traditionally suspended on festive structures. Each form preserves the gesture and intention of the person who made it, becoming part of a collective artwork shaped by many hands. On June 27 at 11:30 am, when Mastro Sol is activated by the public, participants are invited to rediscover their own flag, see how it became part of the final installation, and harvest it to share, offer, or eat.
Caravanserá Workshop
Before the performance (on June 27th), audiences are invited to take part in a participatory workshop where movement, sound, and collective actions gradually shape the world of Caravanserá. Inspired by historical “caravanserais” – places of encounter and exchange –, the workshop creates an informal space where participants of different ages contribute to the atmosphere of the performance, blurring the boundaries between audience and performers.
NEW BOWING BAND
NEW BOWING BAND is a project aimed at creating an intercontinental band that blends the musical traditions of the diverse cultures found in the municipality of Odemira. It is the stories and musical experiences of each musician that shape this soundscape, marked by a variety of influences. It is, therefore, a gathering of musicians from different countries who come together to play, sing, and, above all, create a new, contemporary, and vibrant sound.
Sopa de Pedra
Sopa de Pedra a Portuguese all-female vocal ensemble that explores the country’s oral traditions, passed down for generations by women through work songs, lullabies, ballads, and festive and religious songs. Their music is based on a cappella polyphony, sometimes accompanied by traditional percussion instruments such as the adufe and the pandeiro. Through their polyphonic arrangements, they breathe new life into a heritage long confined to the domestic sphere, bringing it to the forefront of contemporary stages, both in Portugal and abroad. Concert curated by Alain Weber.
PLO Man
In a DJ set shaped by dense atmospheres and subtle sonic drifts, PLO Man builds a sonic journey where house, techno, breakbeat and dub echoes intersect in a fluid way. Closely connected to the universe of Acting Press, a cult label within the underground electronic scene, he develops an approach attentive to texture, duration and the slow transformations of the dancefloor. The video projection of an original drawing by JAS expands this sensory experience.
KAI – JAS & Pedro Moura
An immersive performance where live drawing and sound unfold together. Through the collaboration between JAS and Pedro Moura, image and music merge into a shared sensory experience.
Bal Moderne
A contemporary dance event where everyone is invited to take part in a lively and joyful late afternoon full of movement. The audience learns, in just a few minutes, choreographies created by international artists, becoming performers themselves. Between learning and celebration, this collective format dissolves the boundaries between stage and audience, fostering connection, sharing, and the discovery of contemporary dance through direct experience.
CAROLF
In an immersive DJ set, CAROLF guides the audience through subtle sonic landscapes, weaving experimental textures, ethereal atmospheres, and sporadic rhythms. Her selection reveals a deep sensitivity to detail and mood. The experience is enhanced by video projections of JAS’s original drawings, creating a sensory dialogue where sound and image merge into a contemplative, ever-evolving universe.
Fiz um foguete imaginando que você vinha, de Janaína Marques
Rosa lies inside an MRI machine. She is asked to think of a happy memory, something she doesn’t have. It is time to create one, by returning to her childhood, when her mother was arrested and accused of murder. And there they are, in a realistic reverie, travelling in an old hot dog van along the dirt roads of northern Brazil. Janaína Marques’ feature debut is a guided tour through a mind in turmoil, its landscapes and its wounds.
Past events
BONĠU BEJT!
BONĠU BEJT! revolves around three characters who become stranded on a roof after a cyclone sweeps through, leaving them stuck on Peppu’s pristine roof. The flagpole in the middle of the roof is his pride and joy. Peppu, along with the fussy Tina and the acrophobic service worker, must now find a way to safely get off the roof. Their adventure on the roof is filled with thrilling acrobatics on a massive pole and a mischievous mouse that wreaks hilarious havoc on our protagonists. But how will the discovery of a mysterious egg help them find a way off the roof safely?
Luzzu
A hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark is faced with an agonising choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu – a traditional, multicoloured wooden fishing boat – in the hopes of eking out a meagre living at sea for his wife and newborn son, just as his father and grandfather did before him. Or he can decommission it in exchange for a European Union payout and cast his lot with an illicit operation that is decimating the Mediterranean fish population and the livelihoods of the local families who depend on it.
Workshops and catamaran experience for children
An essential aspect of the festival involves the development of workshops centered around the audiovisual experience on board the catamaran. These workshops are designed to address three key themes: cultural diversity, environmental sustainability and gender equality. Suitable for children aged 5 to 11, the activities are inspired by an audiovisual experience highlighting artifacts from the Louvre, encouraging active engagement, conversation and participatory learning.
Ocean Weekend
The first week-end of the Art Explora Festival Malta stopover, on March 23rd and 24th, will launch a new programme named “Ocean Weekends”. In Malta, these 2 days of programming will be co-curated with the Malta Biennale and the curators Sofia Baldi Pighi, Emma Mattei and Andrew Borg Wirth. The Ocean Week-end in La Valletta will invite the audience to a series of round tables, film screenings, and inspiring talks, gathering key speakers from the art and sciences worlds around the issue of ocean climate emergency.
Panel with Marie Briguglio, Timmy Gambin & Bettina Hutschek
CAN YOU SEA? Water as a political body - The Land/Sea dialectic omnipresent in maritime anthropology - Colonialism, independence, developmental and conservation policies have all disrupted communities inhabiting maritime space. - The concept of the sea as a human space, marked by cultural diversity, has been stubbornly resisted. - Access, ownership and protection of the ocean by shifting the dominant western model of ideas about the sea and opening up a middle way – a space for reflection that is scientific, political, social, creative.
Screening of 'All Inclusive', 'If the Sun Drowned Into an Ocean of Clouds', 'Unknown Ocean'.
- All Inclusive by Corina Schwingruber Ilić, 2018 - 'If the Sun Drowned Into an Ocean of Clouds' by Wissam Chara, 2023 - Unknown Ocean by Dolphin Club, 2019
Davide Ambrogio
EVOCAZIONI E INVOCAZIONI – RITUAL SONGS FROM ASTROMONTE Davide Ambrogio skillfully captures the vast tapestry of Mediterranean culture, spanning from Albania to Greece, from Italy to the Arab world. Raised in a small town in Aspromonte, a mountainous territory in the extreme southwest of Italy, in Calabria, Davide was surrounded by ancient religious rituals and devotional chants that are still very much alive. Tethered to his Calabrian roots, he drew inspiration from the oral traditions of the region to create his distinctive musical language.
Brikkuni Live
Often credited with the revival of Maltese sung pop music, Brikkuni have been around since their seminal 2008 debut Kuntrabanda – a genre-hopping pop/rock/punk hybrid that transformed the band into a local cult phenomenon and ushered in a new wave of Maltese alternative music.
Vento y Fogo
The vibrant multiculturalism of Malta, coupled with a shared passion for Latin rhythms, served as the catalyst for the collaboration between Marco Strafalaci from Italy and Patricia Torres from Uruguay. This unique fusion led to the creation of the musical project known as the Vento y Fogo duo. Their repertoire, spanning from South American tunes to Spanish, Italian, and beyond, invites the audience on a captivating journey through the joyful flavours of Mediterranean and Latin musicality.
Panel with Françoise Gaill, Andrew Borg Wirth, Mariana Hahn moderated by Ashok Adicéam
Theme: Art, Science & Philanthropy
Screening of 'Intertide' and 'It Isn't Easy, But It Is'.
- Intertide' by Renzo Spiteri - It Isn't Easy, But It Is' by Mariana Hahn
Panel with Renata Poljak, Vince Briffa, Simon Riccardi-Zani moderated by Gabriel Zammit
Theme: Art about the Sea—On Wider Conversations
Voices : Marie Hélène Pereira
Marie Helene Pereira is a Curator and cultural practitioner from Dakar, Senegal She is profoundly interested in the politics of identity and histories of migration.
Performance Emilija Škarnulytė
Emilija Škarnulytė is an artist and filmmaker, born in Vilnius, Lithuania. Working between the documentary and the imaginary, Škarnulytė makes films and immersive installations exploring deep time and invisible structures, from the cosmic and geologic to the ecological and political. Winner of the 2019 Future Generation Art Prize and the Ars Fennica Award 2023, Škarnulytė represented Lithuania at the XXII Triennale di Milano and was included in the Baltic Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Immersjoni
Immersjoni is a venture embarked on by Giaçinté and Tina, focusing on interpreting their shared adventures, continuous exploration, and thriving curiosity. Their electronic, hybrid sessions reflect sensitivity to unique sounds, global instruments, and complex vocals, which are layered and combined through digital, vinyl, and analogue hardware. A fondness for these elements rapidly unfolds through abstract grooves, deep basslines, and mind-bending hypnotic experiences.
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