Art Explora Festival

As part of the Festival, the Museum will also organize two educational activities with free admission for the public: on Monday, October 6, it will hold the workshop “The Abduction of Europa”, and on Saturday, October 11, children will play with “Cycladoupolis”, a board game created by the Museum in collaboration with WWF on the theme of the environment.

The Art Explora Festival is an innovative, traveling festival of art and culture organized by Art Explora, making its journey across the seas with the world’s first museum ship. From spring 2024 to autumn 2027, this floating museum will visit 15 Mediterranean countries, aiming to highlight the region’s extensive history and rich cultural heritage. A central event of the Festival in Piraeus is the exhibition “Sous l’azur – Under the azure”, dedicated to the artistic interpretation of the Mediterranean. Approximately twenty artists will showcase works inspired by the region’s aquatic element, inviting the audience to re-examine both ancient and contemporary myths associated with it. At each festival stop, an emblematic object from a local cultural institution will be displayed, emphasizing the unique relationship between the peoples and the sea that surrounds them.

The impressive Attic red-figure krater dating to the 4th century BC, depicting the Abduction of Europa by Zeus from the Museum of Cycladic Art, will certainly captivate the visitors. In the figurative scene, Zeus, transformed into a bull, carries the Phoenician princess to Crete, while fish at the bottom of the composition suggest her maritime journey.

The myth of Europa, who gave her name to the entire continent, underscores the enduring role of the Mediterranean as a maritime route that unites diverse cultures.

The Abduction of Europa
A storytelling and art workshop for children

A unique workshop for children, inspired by the myth of Europa’s abduction by Zeus.
The program begins with a live storytelling performance by George Evgenikos, as the illustrator Olia Ntakogianni brings the story to life in real time through sketches that unfold before the audience.

Then, the children are invited to create their own version of the myth:

They will be asked to map out the mythical journey of Zeus and Europa on a simplified map of the Eastern Mediterranean, drawing their own imagined intermediate stops between Tyreand Crete. At each stop, they will imagine and sketch what creatures, deities, travelers or local inhabitants the pair might have encountered — using symbols and drawings directly on the map.

Next, each child will choose one of the imagined stops and illustrate a scene from that stop on the surface of an ancient vase template.

Age: 5-10 years old
Dates: Monday, Oct 6th, between 18:00-20:00
Duration per workshop: ~2 hours (with a small break)
Free entrance

“Cycladoupolis” Board Game

Cycladoupolis is a cultural, environmental, educational game created by the Museum of Cycladic Art and WWF aiming to inform and raise awareness of the Cycladic civilization and its heritage as well as the environmental challenges of the Cycladic islands.

By playing the game, children and adults learn about the archaeological sites and museums of the Cyclades and get a glimpse into the islands’ rich biodiversity and the concept of sustainable development.

Age: 6+/ in teams
Dates: Saturday, Oct 11th, between 10:00-12:00
Duration: ~2 hours
Free entrance