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

Kimi Djabaté
As a heir to the Mandinka griot tradition, Kimi Djabaté places the balafon at the heart of his music, alongside the kora, guitar, percussion, and vocals. Based in Portugal, he weaves West African traditions together with jazz, blues, fado, and bossa nova, creating a soundscape that is both deeply rooted and resolutely contemporary. Sung in Mandinka, Creole, and Portuguese, his songs carry a message of social commitment: the defense of women’s rights, a call for peace, and a celebration of tolerance and intercultural dialogue. <span>Concert curated by Alain Weber. </span>

Lizatron
In a DJ set guided by her restless digger’s instinct, Lizatron crafts sonic journeys that move across genres, eras, and geographies, unveiling rare finds, textures, and unexpected atmospheres. Her selection—both precise and intuitive—shapes an immersive flow between the experimental and the danceable. The experience is expanded by a video projection of an original drawing by JAS, engaging in a sensory dialogue with the sound.

Lula Pena
Lula Pena is one of the most singular voices in contemporary Portuguese music. Blending folk traditions, improvisation and poetic storytelling, her performances unfold as intimate and unpredictable journeys between geographies, memories and languages.

Mike El Nite – Magic Karaoke
An interactive karaoke hosted by Mike El Nite, where the audience becomes the performer. Combining DJ set and live participation, this event creates a lively and playful atmosphere.

Children's Ground, Madalena Victorino
This performance was born from a grandmother’s wish to explain her work as a choreographer to her grandchildren, who became co-creators of something that did not yet exist. With musicians, performers and a set designer, Chão de Meninos emerged: a small land in Sintra where snow laughs, bears play and garden-carpets bloom. A dance and music piece celebrating the strength, laughter and delicacy of children. Production: Lavrar o Mar.

Workshop Mastro Sol, in preparation of Mastro Sol, Maja Escher
In this workshop, each participant shapes and creates their own edible form (biscuit-flag) made from biscuit dough that will be suspended as part of Mastro Sol, an installation inspired by vernacular celebrations and the mastros de promessa of the Alentejo region, where circular cakes are traditionally suspended on festive structures. Each form preserves the gesture and intention of the person who made it, becoming part of a collective artwork shaped by many hands. On June 27 at 11:30 am, when Mastro Sol is activated by the public, participants are invited to rediscover their own flag, see how it became part of the final installation, and harvest it to share, offer, or eat.

Caravanserá Workshop
Before the performance (on June 27th), audiences are invited to take part in a participatory workshop where movement, sound, and collective actions gradually shape the world of Caravanserá. Inspired by historical “caravanserais” – places of encounter and exchange –, the workshop creates an informal space where participants of different ages contribute to the atmosphere of the performance, blurring the boundaries between audience and performers.

Mastro Sol
In this workshop, each participant shapes and creates their own edible form (biscuit-flag) made from biscuit dough that will be suspended as part of Mastro Sol, an installation inspired by vernacular celebrations and the mastros de promessa of the Alentejo region, where circular cakes are traditionally suspended on festive structures. Each form preserves the gesture and intention of the person who made it, becoming part of a collective artwork shaped by many hands. On June 27 at 11:30 am, when Mastro Sol is activated by the public, participants are invited to rediscover their own flag, see how it became part of the final installation, and harvest it to share, offer, or eat.

Caravanserá
A participatory performance combining dance, music and procession. Inspired by the work of Maria José Ciríaco, Caravanserá invites audiences to join a collective and festive experience where everyone becomes part of the performance.

BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança
BRUXAS - ensaio para a esperança invites audiences into a walk through Cascais where feminism, witch hunts and personal memories intersect and blur. Through fragmented narratives and unexpected voices, the performance unsettles official histories and reflects on hope as a fragile yet transformative gesture.

Violet
In a DJ set that brings together rhythmic tension and futuristic imagination, Violet summons mutant techno, acid house and off-centre rhythms to build an intense and unpredictable sonic narrative. Between physical pulse and conceptual exploration, the set reflects her connection to dancefloor cultures and the political histories of dance music. The video projection of an original drawing by JAS expands this sensory experience. The DJ programme at the Art Explora Festival is curated by Filho Único.

A garota não
"A garota não" is the musical project of Cátia Mazari Oliveira, combining songwriting and social reflection. Presenting "Ferry Gold", this concert brings an intimate and powerful look at contemporary realities.
Past events

Tours and workshops for school and after-school groups
Come and discover the various Art Explora Festival exhibitions with your class!

Valentin Noujaïm retrospective (invited by Martha Kirszenbaum)
Screening of a retrospective of works by artist Valentin Noujaïm. The retrospective will be followed by a discussion in the presence of the filmmaker.

The Twilight Bar - Belsunce Projects (guests by Martha Kirszenbaum)
As part of Art Explora, Belsunce Projects aims to inaugurate Le Bar du Crépuscule (The Twilight Bar) in the agora, providing a welcoming, in-person space for the public, the community, and artistic disciplines during the festival. Le Bar du Crépuscule is a tool for bringing creative forces together.

Carte blanche to FIDMarseille
Screening of films from the Marseille International Film Festival. © Photo: Capital by Basma Al-Sharif. Courtesy of the artist and Imane Farès Gallery

Performances by artists/students from the Beaux-Arts d'Aix-en-Provence in co-production with Frac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain
Frac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain is always attentive to the emergence of new talent in the region, and regularly offers cartes blanches at its premises as a resource platform for young local artists. By inviting three young artists who have recently graduated from the École supérieure d'art d'Aix-en-Provence Félix Ciccolini to take part in the Art Explora Festival programme , Frac Sud, echoing its art and sport programming, is thwarting established representations and contributing to the themes explored by the festival, based on current issues affecting the Mediterranean world.

Walk - Colonial Marseille - Mariam Benbakkar
Colonial Marseille: a guided tour through the colonial and commercial history of the 19th century, in the heart of the city. The guided tour covers approximately 1 km and lasts 2 hours around the Old Port, exploring the city's colonial history in the 19th century.

Concert La Madalena (guest.es by Alain Weber)
Manu Théron has set to music "La Cantilène de Sancta Maria Magdalena", the score of which was lost over two centuries ago. This composition, inspired by testimonies collected since the end of the 19th century, has enabled this archaic song to reconnect with popular devotion to Madalena, a timeless figure in Provence's Phocaean city, and to free itself from the uniformity of Catholic dogma that had once proscribed it.

Open-air cinema: Triangle-Astérides x Marie de Gaulejac (guests of Martha Kirszenbaum)
With Marseille as a recurring backdrop, the video selection brings together an anthology, a series, an experimental documentary and a film at the crossroads of manga and autobiographical narrative.
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Visit – workshop – Super Nana! – Accoules playground – Children's Museum
After a visit to the "Elles!" exhibition at the Préau des Accoules, the museum staff invites you to a workshop highlighting the work of artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Children will be invited to create their own little Nana, drawing inspiration from existing Nana models—those joyful and colorful creatures that embody the artist's feminist and social ideals.

Original Rockerz - Pratiques libres 'Marseille fait son show': Talent interskool kidz hip-hop
Kidz-18 competition in Hip-hop Breaking, bringing together the vast majority of schools in the region to create their own regional competition.

Kader Attou / Accrorap Company
The dance performance 'Pré́lude' tells the story of the encounter between Romain Dubois' music and the physicality of the dancers. As a prelude to the establishment of Compagnie Accrorap in the South Region, this piece is an invitation from choreographer Kader Attou to a dozen professional hip-hop dancers from the region to explore his artistic world. This versatile show, presented here for the first time, aims to reach all audiences and take hip-hop dance to unexpected places.

Concert by Maria Simoglou (invited by Alain Weber)
'RÉBÉTIKO - SONGS FROM GREECE AND MINOR ASIA' - 'A contemplative moment of music from a region at the crossroads of East and West

Spartenza concert (Maura Guerrera, Malik Ziad, Manu Théron) (guest by Alain Weber)
When Maura Guerrera’s luminous and soulful voice meets Malik Ziad’s mandole and guembri, the vocal traditions of Sicily are imbued with the exalted melodies and rhythms of the Mediterranean… Listening to the vibrations that run through it, the duo, enriched by the poetic, sensitive and vibrant presence of Manu Théron, transports us from one shore to the other of the Mare Nostrum, in a deep and intense sonic journey.

Workshop – The Body Stretches – Omar Aljbaai and Dasha Sedova – the workshop of artists in exile
For this workshop blending dance and theatre, Dasha Sedova and Omar Aljbaai, in association with the Artists in Exile workshop, invite us to reintroduce the notions of play and joy into our daily movement practices. Over the course of an hour and a half, participants will explore walking, bodily interactions in everyday situations, and ways of occupying space with a fresh perspective.

Performance by Rafram Chaddad (guest of Martha Kirszenbaum)
As a self-taught artist and culinary expert with a particular interest in North African Judeo-Arabic cuisine, Rafram Chaddad transforms the hammam into a place not only for treatment and relaxation but also for food and sharing. One afternoon, he took over the Zein hammam in Marseille, located near the Old Port, and offered to cook and serve dishes to clients during their treatments.
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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