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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
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
In the Shadow of the Towers
A screening programme featuring new works by Phivos Philitas, Adonis Archontides and Androula Kafa, created for the exhibition The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification.
Trapped in Wordscapes and Staged Territories
A participatory poetry session hosted by artist Aggela Ioannidou, exploring how the transformation of cities affects individuals and their communities through the work of award-winning author Donna Stonecipher. Guests are invited to engage as much or as little as they wish by listening, reading, and sharing thoughts and experiences.
1953
1953, a dramaturgical exercise on the facticity of the present, reimagines the Rialto Theatre as a fluid space dissolving borders between stage and auditorium, inside and outside, day and night. Structured in three parts and lasting fifteen hours, from sunset to sunrise, it unfolds as a shifting landscape where the dramatised and the real intermingle. Its coordinates are set by the lives of scenographer Valentino Joseph and Julie the elephant, both born in 1953.
Open Studios: Tamara Al-Samerraei and Ghyzlène Boukaïla
Open Studio presentations by Tamara Al-Samerraei and Ghyzlène Boukaïla, artists-in-residence at Art Explora’s Mediterranean Crossed Residency programme in Cyprus. Al-Samerraei presents new paintings exploring memory, absence, and precarious spaces, inspired by makeshift studios and abandoned huts that echo a childhood home. Boukaïla presents a mixed-media installation linked to her lecture-performance Djebel al-Qāf — is it reachable?, on view 31 Oct–2 Nov.
1953: Night Works and Other Studies by Valentino Joseph
Bringing together sketches made in bed just before sleep, technical notes and sculptures maquettes that were never materialized, as well as a series of portrait studies culminating in a single painting, Pylon Art & Culture hosts the first solo exhibition of Valentino Joseph, seeking to shed light on another side of his multifaceted body of work. Opening on the second day of the Limassol Art Walks, the exhibition unfolds as both an epilogue and an autonomous continuation of the performance 1953 at the Rialto Theatre.
Necrogeographies: A walk around St Nikolaos Cemetery in Limassol
On November 1st and 2nd 2025, we invite you to Limassol’s old cemetery for a guided walk through its silence(d) grounds. Blending academic research with stories from those who sustain the cemetery, along with comparative material from our research in Greece, Denmark and Japan, we explore class-based, gendered and political necrogeographies. A reflective journey through social change, memory and care.
Exhibition Tour: The Right to Home
A walk through the exhibition The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification together with the artists and curator, exchanging insights and reflections on the works and themes of the project.
In the Shadow of the Towers
A screening programme featuring new works by Phivos Philitas, Adonis Archontides and Androula Kafa, created for the exhibition The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification.
Limassol: an open conversation about gentrification and culture
An open space for sharing and reflection, this conversation explores the impacts of gentrification on some of Limassol’s long-time residents and communities, as well as its cultural ecosystem. Local artists join academics, activists and social practitioners to exchange daily experiences and critical perspectives on the city’s ongoing transformation, while the public is invited to contribute their own views and stories.
Live concert: Something Messy, MUSHA, Mava + ΚαππαΧι + Nnocxela
A live concert of hip-hop, rock, and electronic music showcasing the talents of Limassol's underground scene. Held in the iconic EKA Group garage, the concert will be followed by an afterparty at the Tapper Bar.
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Your Face Sounds Familiar
This year marks a special milestone for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) performers' community in Cyprus as they bring their much-loved talent show “Your Face Sounds Familiar” to a wider audience. For the very first time, within the framework of Art Explora Festival the event will be held in an outdoor public space, opening itself to the broader community and celebrating the creativity and spirit of the Filipino diaspora.
Jebel al-Qāf — is it reachable?
Ghyzlène Boukaïla’s Djebel al-Qāf — is it reachable? is a lecture-performance unfolding within an in situ installation, part waiting room, part forgotten checkpoint. Fragments gather around a mythical submerged mountain, echoing the threshold of the world in Islamic cosmology. Rooted in her film project Inner Sea Desire, the work drifts between stories, borders, and inner crossings. Installation on view 31 Oct–2 Nov, Performance on 2 Nov.
Secret
A nocturnal journey by Demetris Kolokotronis, recomposed with Stelios Ilchuk through sharp editing and a unique soundtrack. The footage captures Cypriot ecosystems: critters in caves, aquatic beings flashing or glowing in dark waters, legless and many-legged creatures moving across the dry landscape. Human presence remains only as that of an observer and explorer, another animal existing in parallel, in an ethereal time and space. In parallel, at the premises of the museum, the lecture “A history of Cyprus through its animals: introductions, extinctions, interactions and depictions in ancient art” will take place.
A History of Cyprus through Its Animals: Introductions, Extinctions, Interactions, and Depictions in Ancient Art
The history of humans and animals in Cyprus is long, complex, and fascinating. It encompasses numerous instances of introduction, extinction, and countless forms of interaction between animals and humans, right up to the present day. Join an interactive journey through time. Explore and discuss the extinction of Cyprus's endemic fauna, the introduction of wild and domestic animals, the evolution of their roles over time, subsequent extinctions, their presence in ancient art, and much more. As the objects on display in the museum demonstrate, the history and art of Cyprus are profoundly enriched by humankind's fascination with animals. In parallel, and throughout the day, the film Secret will be screened continuously in the museum.
A History of Cyprus through Its Animals: Introductions, Extinctions, Interactions, and Depictions in Ancient Art
The history of humans and animals in Cyprus is long, complex, and fascinating. It encompasses numerous instances of introduction, extinction, and countless forms of interaction between animals and humans, right up to the present day. Join an interactive journey through time. Explore and discuss the extinction of Cyprus's endemic fauna, the introduction of wild and domestic animals, the evolution of their roles over time, subsequent extinctions, their presence in ancient art, and much more. As the objects on display in the museum demonstrate, the history and art of Cyprus are profoundly enriched by humankind's fascination with animals. In parallel, and throughout the day, the film Secret will be screened continuously in the museum.
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