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

Water Landscapes, Xesca Salvà
A speculative game based on direct observation of the entire ecosystem that exists within water. What lives in the sea? What landscapes does it create? How many different creatures live in the water? What are they like and how do they move? We will draw the landscape of living beings that cannot be seen with the naked eye, a garden of microorganisms, a new science-fiction planet

Water Landscapes, Xesca Salvà
A speculative game based on direct observation of the entire ecosystem that exists within water. What lives in the sea? What landscapes does it create? How many different creatures live in the water? What are they like and how do they move? We will draw the landscape of living beings that cannot be seen with the naked eye, a garden of microorganisms, a new science-fiction planet
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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.
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In the depths
The proposal is entitled In the Depths and takes the form of a performative lecture. It begins with the real history of the Atlantic as a space of violence and memory: the slave trade, ports with a Black presence in Spain (Barcelona, Seville, Cadiz), and how this past has been silenced or fragmented. From there, it takes a creative leap into the realm of the imaginary: how artists such as Drexciya have paved the way for thinking about the ocean not only as a tomb, but also as an archive, as a place of possibilities and future.

NKISI Presents ‘Serpent Songs’
Inspired by Nkisi’s ongoing research into the ethnographic music archives (1893 till present), ‘Serpent Songs’ invokes the serpentine movements of sound and the migratory paths of its vibrations. The musical composition delves into the psycho-acoustics inherited from ancient musical traditions. Here, music emerges as an enchanted consciousness; a vessel for its mythopoetic remembrance. Inspired by the primordial snake ancestors of these ancient traditions who shaped landscapes, rivers, and hills, ‘Serpent Songs' traces the trails of music they left behind.

Migritude
Migritude is a powerful solo musical performance by Dudù Kouate that blends ancestral rhythms, voice, and found objects into a deeply moving ritual of sound and memory. Rooted in Kouate’s Griot heritage and shaped by his transnational journey between Senegal and Europe, the performance explores migration, identity, loss, and resilience. Migritude is an intimate yet universal experience: a living bridge between cultures, where the stage becomes a shared space of listening, reflection, and collective humanity.

Nadah El Shazly presents Laini Tani
El Shazly's new album, Laini Tani, exudes an intoxicating and exhilarating sense of excess, evoking a sensual haze of warm nights that stretch effortlessly into dawn, while the clubs continue to vibrate unaffected. Each track functions as a vignette, capturing fleeting but intense moments of introspection, defiance, or unbridled euphoria. Through subtle wordplay, layered metaphors, and personal symbols, El Shazly weaves a richly meaningful sonic and lyrical tapestry, where every note and every phrase suggests a more intimate narrative. The album plays on contrasts—between indulgence and contemplation, spontaneity and observation—inviting the listener to lose themselves in its mesmerizing rhythms while deciphering the deeper truths hidden within. The album's soundscape achieves a refined balance, creating a dynamic dialogue between classical Egyptian improvisation, vocal manipulation, and electronic rhythms. Nadah collaborates with 3Phaz as co-producer.

Stories from Around the World by Marieta Sánchez
Stories from around the world that open our imagination and understanding, told by storyteller Marieta Sánchez.
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I.O. (organic inteligence)
I.O. (Inteligencia Orgánica - Organic Intelligence) is a collective creation project bringing together Karen Lugo, Momi Maiga, Aleix Tobías, Guillem Aguilar and Carles Dénia. Flamenco, Spanish folk traditions and Mandinka music converge in an open and organic dialogue, where improvisation plays a central role. A living and communicative proposal based on listening, friendship and cultural exchange.

Black Med Chapter IX
Black Med listening session is a performance combining a video screening and a live mixing session by Invernomuto (Simone Bertuzzi and Simone Trabucchi). The project explores the trajectories that sounds trace as they travel across the Mediterranean in sonic form. We inaugurate the IX chapter, produced for the Art Explora Málaga Festival, created in relation to the sounds of the southern Iberian Peninsula and their possible echoes in other parts of this sea. From the Cantigas de Santa Maria to Algerian raï, via Lole y Manuel or the urban phenomena of rappers such as Huda.

Stories from Around the World by Marieta Sánchez
Stories from around the world that open our imagination and understanding, told by storyteller Marieta Sánchez.

The Witch of Oz. Mitja i Mitjoneta Company
Dorita cannot imagine the adventure that awaits her today. Almost without realizing it, she finds herself in the land of Oz, a place ruled by witches, where money does not exist and all beings are treated equally. To return home, she must find the Witch of Oz by following a path of socks that will lead her to her. Will you join us on this adventure?
Past events

Ngomez Nokass
Ngomez Nokass, a renowned Senegalese percussion and dance group based in Barcelona and specializing in traditional rhythms such as sabar, djembe, and mbalakh, will officially open the festival. Originally formed by eight members and now expanding to over 15, the group fuses traditional Senegalese percussion with the energy of dance, offering vibrant performances filled with rhythmic patterns that are part of a long and rich cultural heritage.

Inauguration Barcelona
Opening on Thursday, March 26, starting at 5 p.m. Free admission.

Miramizu
Amman-born and Barcelona based for the last years, Miramizu is an expert in fusing disparate musical worlds into vibrant journeys. Drawn to contrast, she thrives on the friction between softness and impact, light and low-end, emotion and electricity. For her dj set at Art Explora, she will guide audiences on a sonic journey inspired by the Mediterranean, navigating textures, rhythms, and cultural echoes that reflect our shared landscape and collective experience

res_ & Coral Canigó
res_ (antes res_és_nostre) is a sound art duo that investigates the intersection between electronic music, language and visual arts, understanding sound as cultural, historical and political material. For Art Explora they present a live show based on the sampling of medieval catalan choirs, whose voices are fragmented and processed electronically, generating a dialogue between archive, technology and collective body. Their performance will be joined by 40 singers from the Canigó Choir.

mad miran
Thriving on unpredictability, whether at a festival or an intimate club, mad miran’s connection to rave culture and unique blend of electronic beats guarantee a mesmerizing performance every time, marking her as one of the most exciting DJs to watch.

Radio Alhara
Radio Alhara will join the programme of the festival with sporadic music transmissions at the village . Palestine becoming the soundtrack, the background of the Mediterranean.

Naïm Gnawa Ensemble
Naïm Gnawa Ensemble is a Moroccan traditional music ensemble based in Barcelona, specializing in the Gnawa repertoire. Led by maâlem Naim Issawa, the group performs in a large collective format rooted in ritual practice, combining percussion, ghaita trumpets and choral voices. Their music creates a shared, ceremonial experience where rhythm, repetition and collective energy play a central role.

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.
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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