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

STEAM on board
“STEAM on Board” is an immersive workshop for students aged 12–15, inspired by Harvard’s *Project Zero* thinking routines. Participants are invited to observe clues closely and transform their discoveries into creative artworks. Along the way, they will solve riddles, conduct hands-on experiments, and design innovative tools. This dynamic experience encourages participants to think like scientists, act as engineers, create like artists, and document like journalists — all while deepening their understanding of the cultural context of this unique vessel.

ATOPOS cvc x Office of Hydrocommons x Art Explora Liquid Ports
Liquid Ports group show with works by Ileana Arnaoutou & Ismene King, Despina Charitonidi, Eleni Mylonas, Maria Nikiforaki

Instantaneous Geometries
Installation and Printing workshops by Katerina Stefanidaki and Zafos Xagoraris. Outdoor, printing workshops at the Piraeus port, with the use of magnetic surfaces and the participation of school students and other visitors

Scola Society's Open Mediation Tours in Arabic, Farsi & Mandarin
“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.

Echoes of the Aegean
The sounds, images, and flavors of the Cyclades islands unite in a sensory journey celebrating the maritime cultures of the southern Aegean Sea today. Evoking the spirit of the traditional wooden boats that have connected the region for centuries, a radio broadcast of folk music and coastal soundscapes accompanies the screening of historical films tracing maritime life across ten Cycladic islands. Gathered around a communal table, ingredients from the land and sea mingle in homage to the region's culinary heritage.

EMST x Art Explora Sphinxes – Metamorphosis 581
In 2019, no fewer than 13,785 Greek caiques were In 2019, as many as 13.785 Greek caiques were scrapped and lost from the Mediterranean Sea. Seeking to combat overfishing and protect fish stocks, the EU program for subsidising the destruction of traditional fishing boats was introduced in 1991. The directive funded decommissioning of fishing vessels and returning fishing licences; in 2014, scrapping of caiques was also introduced.

On the Shores of Homer
*Verse from “Axion Esti” by the Nobel Prize-winning poet Odysseas Elytis. The Odyssey meets the musical tradition of the islands. In the universal history of the written word, the Homeric epic has always been a constant point of reference. There is no author or poet of major or even minor importance who has not been inspired or influenced by the rhapsode's work. Many other stories have fallen into oblivion, many adventures sunk. But the Homeric epic has not ceased to be sung in antiquity, in Byzantine times, right up to recent times. These sung verses express the gradual path to virtue, the thread that connects each man with his soul and then with the divine.

Reading Aloud with Zoe Koskinidou and Kokkini Alepou
As part of the annual “Read Aloud” campaign of the online magazine “Kokkini Alepou”, Zoe Koskinidou reads The Secret of Parents by Nicolas Mathieu, illustrated by Pierre – Henry Gomont and translated by Katerina Schina.

Instantaneous Geometries
Installation and Printing workshops by Katerina Stefanidaki and Zafos Xagoraris. Outdoor, printing workshops at the Piraeus port, with the use of magnetic surfaces and the participation of school students and other visitors

Storytime with Nawzat Hadid
In collaboration with the multilingual library We Need Books, Naouzat – Anastasia Hantid reads “The Lantern” by Ghassan Kanafani in Arabic and Greek.

Sounds from the Sea
Music powerfully conveys stories of migration across the Mediterranean, capturing journeys by sea, experiences of exile, and the search for refuge. By creating and sharing songs and sounds, participants will build empathy and deepen their understanding of migration’s human dimension.

Doxies & XVT - Scola Society Celebration
Scola Society celebrates with a performance by DOXIES followed by a show by XVT. These two music acts consist of members of Scola Society and their friends. Coming together will form a celebration of networks opening up to the audiences of Art Explora Festival in Piraeus. DOXIES is a pan-Asian alternative rock band made up of multilingual musicians from different cities across China, based in Athens.<br>XVT is a young musician, originally from Egypt who writes music in Arabic, English and Greek. Through his music he seeks to represent Egyptian tradition in contemporary music.
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A Spontaneous Symphony for Barrels
Spontaneous Symphony for Barrels is a participatory sound happening where oil barrels and self-made instruments are offered to the audience as percussive objects, played with drumsticks. The performance unfolds as a spontaneous act—an impulsive eruption of sound without premeditation or external prompt. Rhythm and tempo emerge organically through the collective dynamics of the audience, transforming participation into process.

Mediterranean wonders
Embark on a journey to the Golden Age of Alexandria, Athens, and Venice! This brand-new experience, developed exclusively for the Art Explora Festival by Ubisoft, allows you to dive into the past at the heart of 3 iconic cities at the height of their splendor.
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Experiences on board the museum boat
Experience on reservation. Duration: 45 min.
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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