Art Explora Festival

 

The Art Explora Festival is a project that fosters exchanges, dialogues, and cultural cooperation across the Mediterranean region thanks to the world’s first museum boat, which will travel around the Mediterranean basin, visiting 15 countries and 20 ports in three years (2024 – 2026). Designed by architects Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier, and constructed at the Perini Navi shipyard in Italy, it measures 46.5 meters long and 55 meters high.

The boat can welcome up to 2,000 people on board each day and offers an immersive exhibition designed in exceptional collaboration with the Louvre Museum. This exhibition offers a reflection on the role and representation of female figures in the Mediterranean world, through an educational and sensory experience grounded in digital audiovisual technologies. Complemented by a captivating sound experience developed in partnership with Ircam X Ircam Amplify, visitors embark on a sonic odyssey, delving into the sensations of the Mediterranean and discovering new, evocative soundscapes.

As part of its commitment to supporting contemporary creation, the festival offers a programme of cross-residencies. The curators associated with the project invite artists, scientists, and researchers from the different countries visited by the Art Explora Festival to participate in month-long residencies on board the boat and in another Mediterranean city. The museum boat will be accompanied by a festival village in a quayside area presenting a programme of cultural events, which in the case of Malta is being developed by Spazju Kreattiv, under the curation of Daniel Azzopardi.

The programme is focused on the local and international art scene, addressing various topics and issues relevant to the Mediterranean region. By bringing together a myriad of cultural and artistic practices, the project creates a shared space for peer-to-peer dialogue and experimentation, offering a rich experience to diverse local audiences and visitors alike.

Events

THE MUSEUM-BOAT

The 47-metre long and 55-metre high catamaran, with a capacity to welcome up to 2,000 visitors on board per day, was designed by Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier. The catamaran, built in Italy at the PERINI NAVI shipyard, was handed over at the beginning of 2024. It is registered under the French flag and will meet highly demanding technological requirements.

Art Explora – Workshops

An integral aspect of the community outreach initiative involves the development of workshops centred around the captivating catamaran audio-visual experience. These workshops are designed to address three key themes: cultural diversity, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. Tailored for children aged 5 to 11+, the activities draw inspiration from a curated audio-visual experience featuring Louvre artefacts, encouraging active engagement, meaningful conversations, and participatory learning.

Open Book Fora

Open Book Fora is a diverse and inclusive gathering where individuals share their stories and explore subjects resonating with contemporary society. This initiative celebrates diversity, fostering openness, inclusivity, and understanding among participants. It reminds us of the power within shared narratives, each intertwining a distinctive thread into the collective experience.

Day 1

21st March 2024

NUYE by Compañía de Circo “eia”

Waking up in a lonely place after isolation; we feel we are missing something.
We begin to search from the inside, to complete ourselves again: seeking between our light and our shadows, amidst our contradictions that strangely seem to be complementary; surrealism/rationality, certainty/poetry…

*Etnika

*Etnika has a two-decade track record of creating original and interactive performances and creative projects that raise awareness of Maltese traditional music, whilst challenging and broadening the concepts of local culture through innovation and integration.

Justin Adams, Mauro Durante & Mohamed Errebbaa

Renowned guitar virtuoso, producer, and composer, Justin Adams, has been a chief collaborator with Robert Plant in his band, the Sensational Spaceshifters, co-writing a series of four albums and touring the world.

Day 2

22nd March 2024

Think Tank Session by Inizjamed

Home is where the _______ is
What, and where is home? This informal discussion will focus on the idea of displacement. What exactly is being displaced? The person? Their collective memory? Their history? And in their new surroundings, is the displacement still present? Three panellists with different backgrounds will discuss these issues and more. Literary readings will be interspersed during this discussion.

Bonġu, Bejt!

Bonġu, Bejt! revolves around three characters who become stranded on a roof after a cyclone sweeps through, leaving them stuck on Peppu’s pristine roof. The flagpole in the middle of the roof is his pride and joy.

Luzzu

A hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark is faced with an agonising choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu – a traditional, multicoloured wooden fishing boat – in the hopes of eking out a meagre living at sea for his wife and newborn son, just as his father and grandfather did before him.

Day 3

23rd March 2024

Davide Ambrogio

EVOCAZIONI E INVOCAZIONI – RITUAL SONGS FROM ASTROMONTE Davide Ambrogio skillfully captures the vast tapestry of Mediterranean culture, spanning from Albania to Greece, from Italy to the Arab world. Raised in a small town in Aspromonte, a mountainous territory in the extreme southwest of Italy, in Calabria, Davide was surrounded by ancient religious rituals and devotional chants that are still very much alive.

Brikkuni Live

Often credited with the revival of Maltese sung pop music, Brikkuni have been around since their seminal 2008 debut Kuntrabanda – a genre-hopping pop/rock/punk hybrid that transformed the band into a local cult phenomenon and ushered in a new wave of Maltese alternative music.

Vento y Fogo

The vibrant multiculturalism of Malta, coupled with a shared passion for Latin rhythms, served as the catalyst for the collaboration between Marco Strafalaci from Italy and Patricia Torres from Uruguay. This unique fusion led to the creation of the musical project known as the Vento y Fogo duo. Their repertoire, spanning from South American tunes to Spanish, Italian, and beyond, invites the audience on a captivating journey through the joyful flavours of Mediterranean and Latin musicality.

Ocean Weekend

From 2024 to 2025, Ocean Weekend will be a prominent feature in every stopover of the Art Explora festival, solidifying their position as a cornerstone of the festival’s diverse programme. This initiative reiterates the boat museum project and its festival as pioneers in redefining how art is shared with a broad audience, transcending geographical boundaries and sailing the seas.

Day 4

24th March 2024

Immersjoni

Immersjoni is a venture embarked on by Giaçinté and Tina, focusing on interpreting their shared adventures, continuous exploration, and thriving curiosity. Their electronic, hybrid sessions reflect sensitivity to unique sounds, global instruments, and complex vocals, which are layered and combined through digital, vinyl, and analogue hardware. A fondness for these elements rapidly unfolds through abstract grooves, deep basslines, and mind-bending hypnotic experiences.

Divertimento

For 17-year-old Zahia Ziouani and her twin sister, Fettouma, classical symphonic music holds an unparalleled significance. Despite residing in the underprivileged suburbs of Paris in 1995, with an Algerian background, their pursuit of dreams – Zahia aspiring to be an orchestra conductor and Fettouma a cellist – is marked by relentless challenges.

Ocean Weekend

From 2024 to 2025, Ocean Weekend will be a prominent feature in every stopover of the Art Explora festival, solidifying their position as a cornerstone of the festival’s diverse programme. This initiative reiterates the boat museum project and its festival as pioneers in redefining how art is shared with a broad audience, transcending geographical boundaries and sailing the seas.

Day 5

27th March 2024

Think Tank Session by 3CL Foundation

Join us for a discussion aimed at young people, where we will dive into the dynamic world of contemporary activism and explore the relevance of manifestos in the digital age. Our speakers, inspired by 3CL’s publication ‘Young People and Information: A Manifesto’, will spark conversations on whether manifestos resonate with GenZ and millennials while exploring how art, visual design, social media and AI are shaping the future of activism and social change.

Mare Nostrum by KorMalta – Malta`s National Choir

Under the direction of chorus master Riccardo Bianchi, KorMalta embarks on a captivating musical odyssey themed around the sea. The ensemble’s repertoire spans from the Renaissance era, featuring the timeless Mille Regretz attributed to Josquin Des Prez, to Monteverdi’s renowned madrigal Ecco Mormorar l’Onde, which is adorned with the poetic brilliance of Torquato Tasso.

Malena

Malena is the utterly unforgettable story of a boy’s journey into manhood amid the chaos and intolerance of World War II. In a sleepy Italian village, Malena, the most beautiful woman in town, becomes the subject of increasingly malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen and their jealous wives. But only her most ardent admirer, young Renato Amoroso, will learn her mysterious untold story.

Day 6

28th March 2024

Think Tank Session by the Malta Chamber of Scientists

Dive into the wonders of marine life with our engaging panel discussion, ‘Oceans Alive.’ Join us as panel speakers explore the mysteries of the deep, discussing conservation efforts, biodiversity, and the fascinating creatures that inhabit our oceans. 

ŻfinMalta – National Dance Company: Aerial by Paolo Mangiola & Cantata by Mauro Bigonzetti

AERIAL by Paolo Mangiola, the company director, collaborates with pianist Tricia Dawn WIlliams to explore the ‘bird’s eye view’ and bird migration patterns, set to intricate compositions by John Cage, John Adams, and Ezio Bosso. 

CANTATA by Mauro Bigonzetti, is a visceral dance journey reclaiming Southern Italy’s musical heritage, portraying a continuous interplay of opposites through passionate choreography.

Ballad for the Lived: A Concert by Claire Tonna


In a Wharf (1752) that holds centuries of reconstruction, Claire Tonna presents the concert Ballad for the Lived nurturing the wharf’s same nature; becoming a place of loading and unloading. A transference, exchange and a sharing of courage and kindness to all at the port, be they arriving or departing on their journey of survival, healing and simply being in the present societies we live in.

Day 7

29th March 2024

Gregarious

Gregarious offers a captivating portrayal of the human side of sports, challenging the traditional depiction of sports heroes. The performance seamlessly blends competition and collaboration, illuminating themes of teamwork and rivalry. Drawing inspiration from their own close friendship, the two artists have crafted a contemporary circus gem that exudes energy, wit, and charm.

Drift

Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.

Day 8

30th March 2024

Tsungai Tsikirai & Band

Tsungai has been captivating audiences by showcasing her traditional African music, dances, and cultural heritage through mesmerising performances on various platforms. Beyond her shows, Tsungai finds joy in serving as a workshop facilitator, imparting the art of Southern African choral singing and dance to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Vento y Fogo

The vibrant multiculturalism of Malta, coupled with a shared passion for Latin rhythms, served as the catalyst for the collaboration between Marco Strafalaci from Italy and Patricia Torres from Uruguay. This unique fusion led to the creation of the musical project known as the Vento y Fogo duo. Their repertoire, spanning from South American tunes to Spanish, Italian, and beyond, invites the audience on a captivating journey through the joyful flavours of Mediterranean and Latin musicality.

Day 9

31th March 2024

Smadj, Safwane Kenani & Ersoj Kasimov

Smadj, a virtuoso on the oud and an electronic music innovator, forges a distinctive musical realm by seamlessly blending influences from the East and the Mediterranean Sea. His unique style, a pioneering force within the realm of electronic music, imparts a special hue to the traditional yet contemporary Mediterranean soundscape, drawing on diverse musical traditions from Turkey to the Maghreb.

Exodus

Two worlds collide when Sam (40), a people smuggler, reluctantly saves Amal, a 12-year-old girl whose whole family has gone missing in the Syrian war. Amal believes that they are on their way to Sweden so she sets out on a journey to find them. Sam hesitates but is troubled by the thought of leaving the girl alone in a no-man’s land, and gets dragged in.

Art Explora - Partners