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

Limassol Inauguration
Public opening on Saturday, October 25th, starting at 3:30 PM

Panegyri
Following an inaugural performance by the Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, this celebration brings together Cypriot traditional musicians Michalis Terlikkas, Kemal Deveci, and Aziz Kahraman, along with Stelios Petrakis from Crete. Concluding, Krista Papista will perform her new show, compiled of fragments from her upcoming unreleased album, Euro Divas — an explosion of ritual, Tsifteteli, DIY drum & bass and punk bitch EDM. Papista will be joined on stage by Kanella Petropoulou, Jan Verwoert, and Christos Kyriakides; set design by Christos Kyriakides; garments by Soraya Oronti, Charlotte Gindreau, and Sara Gellez. The night concludes with the vibrant beats of Koulla P. Katsikoronou and dj harama.

“Τhe pretext of painting”: Variations on the Collection of Ivi Meleagrou
An interactive exhibition inviting visitors into the personal art collection of seminal Cypriot author Ivi Meleagrou (1928–2019). Featuring works by key Cypriot artists, alongside prints, reproductions, and embroideries, the collection reflects the author’s deep affinities with her contemporaries and her singular approach to collecting. The exhibition is shaped by an experimental dramaturgy and unfolds through a dynamic process: visitors choose items from a catalogued list to be retrieved, displayed, and taken back into storage, generating an exhibition in constant flux.

An imaginary creature to protect the Mediterranean
How can shapes and symbols found on representations of ancient goddesses help us create a new creature-protector of the Mediterranean? In this art workshop, children and adults use ancient traces as well as new elements in order to collaboratively create the image of an imaginary creature that could help protect the Mediterranean against its present-day challenges.

"Αs much as the earth can drink"
A guided walk by Sevina Floridou through Limassol’s historic Fytidou orchard will introduce visitors to this long-abandoned garden of over 50 palms, now being reopened to the public. During the event, traditional Cypriot treats will be offered by Terract-Salamiou, while the space will be musically enriched with improvisations on the Ney by Panayiotis Tsappis and soundscapes curated by Elena Savvidou.

Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico with Lamia Bedioui, Spivak
Greek vocalist Savina Yannatou, an extraordinary explorer of global vocal traditions, and her longstanding ensemble, Primavera en Salonico accompanied by Lamia Bedioui, let us drift into a transcendent world with their moving performances of maritime-rooted songs. The evening will start with Spivak, a Cypriot musician and sound artist who will transport us into the world of her avant-garde compositions.
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The Room of Ivi Meleagrou
A multimedia exhibition built around a virtual reality reconstruction of the private room of Cypriot author Ivi Meleagrou. The VR model is conceived as a time-based experience accompanied by archival video, audio, and printed material, which invites audiences into an immersive and contemplative encounter with the author’s life and work, particularly her seminal novel, Eastern Mediterranean (1969).

Other Reflexes
“Do you remember the sound of our click?” - D.G.
The performance Other Reflexes is an adaptation of Diana Georgiou’s novel of the same title that explores queer female experience during the ’90s in Limassol. Georgiou focuses on the violences (domestic, class, racial, gender, systemic) that our senses, and selves, can undergo growing up in such a context, but also on the inventive ways in which people can often cope with them.

Cinemare
Taking as its starting point the tradition of open-air cinemas—once an integral part of Limassol's cultural life but now completely extinct—The Island Club, in collaboration with the Limassol Cinema Club, presents Cinemare. Transforming one of the Molos docks into an open-air cinema, Cinemare will offer an eclectic program of films exploring the themes of the sea and the possibility of travel. Dates: October 27 to November 1, 2025

Other Reflexes
“Do you remember the sound of our click?” - D.G.
The performance Other Reflexes is an adaptation of Diana Georgiou’s novel of the same title that explores queer female experience during the ’90s in Limassol. Georgiou focuses on the violences (domestic, class, racial, gender, systemic) that our senses, and selves, can undergo growing up in such a context, but also on the inventive ways in which people can often cope with them.

“Stories from Limassol’s Mahalla” – Guided Sound Walk
A guided sound walk with narratives from Limassol’s Mahalla and social life before 1974. This work was created by MITOS within the framework of the Interwoven Narratives Hub, a collaboration with the Famagusta New Museum and the Famagusta Walled City Association (MASDER), supported by the VAHA program.
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The Cinema - Interdisciplinary Event with The Cinema
The history of the Taksim cinema, later renamed Apollon, until its destruction by fire in May 2024, is brought to life through the personal testimonies of past and present residents of the neighborhood. The event activates the very space of the cinema through a sound documentary, cooking, and music. In addition, on the morning of the same day, the guided sound walk “Stories from Limassol’s mahalla” will take place, featuring narratives about the area’s social life before 1974.

WALID BEN SELIM, Here and Now
Walid Ben Selim gives voice to great Sufi poets, seeking primal vibration through an epic, meditative breath. With harpist Marie-Marguerite Cano, he creates a space of musical spirituality, where Arabic spoken word meets the harp’s symbolic language. A poetic territory imbued with love and triumphant joy.

The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification
The Right to Home bears witness to the struggles of staying, resisting, and imagining the future in Limassol amid rapid urban change and gentrification. Centring voices within the local community and bringing together over twenty artists, academics, and social practitioners, the project unfolds around a group exhibition that serves as the stage for screenings, performances, concerts, open discussions, workshops, podcasts, and publications.

Walking, Wheeling and Writing in the City
A journey through the city exploring the impact of gentrification on the lives and memories of its living beings, using exercises, games, guided narration, and writing.
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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