Programme

Christina Koza, singing in Greek, Arabic and Turkish, under the direction of master musician Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, oud and music composer, will be exploring universal traditional songs of the Mediterranean Sea. Famous violinist Zied Zouari from Tunisia will exceptionally be participating to this concert. The Mediterranean has always been a sea of encounters and exchanges. Each shore calls out to the other, constantly, inevitably, from ancient times to the present day, between East and West. It is this unique feature that will be highlighted in this concert, conceived by Kyriakos Kalaitzidis. 

Darkness is hurled with a voiceless cry, a shadow that became a weight, an indelible mark. With a hand reaching out— that holds— never letting me go, without suffocating, without hurting. A path— a step that measures time, a step that erases fear. Where the weight becomes breath, and presence becomes refuge.

Glorious Epic by Sofia Mavragani is a visceral dance performance exploring the tension between heroism and vulnerability. Through the dynamic relationship of two bodies and the interplay of conflict and harmony, the piece reimagines glory as the tender strength found in collectivity.

Exploring sound as a means of shared experience and emotional depth, pink.wav's sets fuse bass, haunting vocals, intricate breaks, and seductive percussion, offering a sonic reflection of human complexity. Organized by HER Project.

Immerse yourselves to the exhibitions of Art Explora Festival with the guidance of experienced mediators. 

“Open Mediation Tours at Art Explora in Piraeus” by Scola Society is a collaboration with EMST and a continuation of the action that is taking place in 2025 within the Museum. It proposes the research, outreach and implementation of mediation tours by a team of three people. The intercultural mediators from Iran, Egypt and China, will guide audiences from their respective communities in their native languages, thus Farsi, Arabic and Mandarin, through the method of situated mediation.

In this interactive workshop, participants will become both artists and curators as they design their very own “Museum of Me.” Using a variety of provided materials, each participant will explore his/her personal history, identity, and imagination to create exhibitions that reflect who they are and what matters most to them. Through drawing, collage, writing, and object-making, participants will craft artifacts and displays that capture memories, dreams, and defining moments. The workshop is based on Eleni Geroulanou book “Nikiforos explores emotions, based on the Cycladic figurines.  

The workshop continues the artist’s practice on participation as a tool for investigating citizenship. The formed group of participants will learn how to produce a community radio show, narrate, discuss and record together and form questions on our everyday life and the experience of residents of Piraeus, with a focus on communities that experiences migration either in 1920’s and its legacies or very recent experiences. Through the use of sound, music and mapping, we will explore the present soundscape of Piraeus, producing for a future, through sharing experiences, poetry and music.

Urok Shirhan (NL/Iraq), aka UROK, is an Athens-based artist, researcher and DJ working at the intersection of performance, visual arts and critical theory. UROK’s DJ sets unfold a polyglot club sound—where Arab, Latinx and Brazilian rhythms meet leftfield techno and deconstructed bass, blending sweet pop melodies with dark percussive drums. Throughout the Festival, during hours without live programming, the venue’s speakers will transmit the Radio Alhara broadcast. 

The installation investigates how rhythm and sonic texture can be diverted, slowed down, or distorted through frequencies and vibrations. Eight metallic column-speakers, arranged in a circle, create a field of intensity where the dancer’s body responds to the force of sound upon a minimal marble platform. The work forms part of Panos Charalambous’s ongoing research into the expressions of popular culture in the Balkans and the Mediterranean, re-examining their forms in the present and within the specific context of Piraeus.

A dystopian workplace at the Perama shipyards, where a longstanding ban on physical contact has turned human interactions into otherworldly simulations. The suppression of touch among the workers has alienated their communication, transforming the boatyard into a charged landscape of alienation and repressed sensuality beyond stereotypical heteronormative desires.

Εύα Στεφανή, Χαίρε, 2024, 2’ 23”
Μοντάζ: Παναγιώτης Παπαφράγκος, Αφήγηση: Εύα Στεφανή, Γυναίκα: Λουίζα Ντούρου

Μια νηρηίδα επιπλέει σε μια ηλιόλουστη, αμμώδη παραλία. Σα σύγχρονη Οφηλια, αφήνει το νερό με κλειστά μάτια να την παρασύρει, ενώ οι εκκλησιαστικές καμπανοκρουσίες που την περιβάλλουν μετατρέπονται σταδιακά σε αμανέ, σε ρεμπέτικους αχούς και προσευχή. Μια γυναικεία φωνή απευθύνεται ψιθυριστά στη Θεοτόκο, μέσα από ένα επαναλαμβανόμενο μάντρα που μετουσιώνει τον Ακάθιστο Ύμνο και την εμπειρία θέασης του έργου σε μυσταγωγική ιεροτελεστία. Σε ένα διαλογισμό για την εξιλέωση, την κάθαρση και τη φύση, για το νερό που μας φέρνει πίσω τις μητέρες μας, όπως χαρακτηριστικά έχει γράψει ο Gaston Βachelard (1942).

Ευγενική παραχώρηση της καλλιτέχνιδας και του PCAI

Manolis Pappos and his collaborators take us on a journey into the world of rebetiko, the emblematic musical tradition of the port of Piraeus.  

A unique workshop for children, inspired by the myth of Europa’s abduction by Zeus combining storytelling with live drawing. 

Between port and open sea, this ambient set drifts with the voices of waves and unseen creatures. Electronic textures merge with the primal pulse of water, evoking both the vastness of the water element and the intimacy of its depths. A meditation on sea, sound, and femininity, where the ancient power of nature finds resonance in the present moment. Curated by HER x Project