The Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics (BCK) 2026 is entering its next phase, expanding its public programme from September with a series of events inviting audiences to discover, explore and engage with the world of contemporary ceramics. With the Main Exhibition remaining open until 31 October in Rhodes’ Medieval City, the BCK will present an extensive autumn programme, open to all and free of charge. It will include workshops for artists and the public, educational activities for students, university students and educators, academic talks and presentations, documentary screenings, satellite exhibitions and guided tours, culminating in the closing symposium on 31 October.
A large part of the autumn programme is being realised in close collaboration with the University of the Aegean, strengthening the dialogue between Art, Education, Science and Technology. With the Sun as the central theme of this year’s BCK, ceramics become the common ground where different fields of knowledge and creative approaches meet, raising questions around place, memory and Mediterranean identity.
From 4 September to 31 October, BCK 2026 will extend its activities across different locations in Rhodes, both within and beyond the Medieval City, creating an open platform for artists, researchers, educators, school and university students, and the wider public to come together.
Participation in all events of the parallel programme is free, with advance registration required through the ArtVolt app.
THE PARALLEL PROGRAMME IN DETAIL
Masterclasses – Workshops for Artists and the Public
September opens with three workshops addressed to artists, conservators and anyone with an interest in ceramics. On 4, 5 and 6 September, at the Inn of England, archaeologist and museum conservator Nektaria Daskali introduces participants to the Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold through the workshop Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Kintsugi Technique. Rooted in the philosophy of wabi-sabi, the workshop approaches imperfection as a carrier of memory and value, highlighting cracks rather than concealing them. Through an introductory theoretical presentation, participants will explore both the authentic traditional technique and its more contemporary, evolved applications. As part of the workshop, they will learn the basic stages of kintsugi restoration while also having the opportunity to repair a small ceramic object using a simple, modern method.
From 11 to 13 September, the workshop Ceramic Glazes – An Introduction to Glaze Technology, led by artist Giorgos Vavatsis, will take place at the Boni Ceramic Workshop in Archangelos. Participants will explore glaze composition, experiment with recipes at different firing temperatures and attend demonstrations of the basic glazing techniques.
On 9 October, museologist and University of Athens professor Marlen Mouliou will present the experiential workshop Where Objects Acquire Meaning and Touch Our Souls: The Healing Power of Museums at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes and the Inn of England, in collaboration with the Association of Architecture and Cultural Heritage of Rhodes.
Educational Programme for Students and Educators
From late September, a series of interdisciplinary and interactive workshops designed by professors and researchers from the University of the Aegean brings contemporary ceramics into the classroom. School and university students, as well as primary and secondary education teachers, will explore the history and culture of Rhodes through the creative intersection of art and science, across venues including the University of the Aegean, the Inn of England, the “Charavgi” cultural space in Ialysos and the Kritika settlement.
On 21, 23 and 30 September, the three-part workshop Traces of Rhodes’ Culture and History Through Ceramic Art welcomes students from the Department of Primary Education at the University of the Aegean and primary school teachers. Guided by Dimitris Kokkinos (Laboratory Teaching Staff, Children’s Literature), ceramic artist Litsa Paraskeva and Kaiti Paraskeva (Director of the “Charavgi” cultural space), participants will imprint symbols and motifs of the island onto clay.
On 7 October, at the Mathematics Laboratory of the University of the Aegean, the workshop When Mathematics “Shapes” Art invites fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade primary school students to explore Rhodian ceramics through geometric shapes, patterns and proportions, led by Rosa Vlachou (Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Education) and Konstantinos Kantas (Primary Education Advisor PE70 and Postdoctoral Researcher).
On 8 October, at the Inn of England, Kyriaki Fardi (Laboratory Teaching Staff, University of the Aegean) will take fifth- and sixth-grade students on a Journey Through Time: The History of Rhodes’ Ceramics, from ancient vessels to 20th-century ceramics and the industrial heritage of “Ikaros”. On 15 October, the workshop will be repeated in a dedicated version for primary school teachers and education students.
On 15 and 16 October, the three-part workshop series Ceramics of the Sun – From Tradition to Extended Reality, led by Stavros Pitsikalis (Laboratory Teaching Staff, School of Humanities, University of the Aegean) and a team of scientific collaborators comprising Ilona-Eleftheria Wasitsa, Charalambos Syrgiannis, Eleni Syrmou and Charalambos Retsos, will welcome middle school students, university students and educators in turn at the Digital Innovation Hub (EduTech DIH) of the University of the Aegean. Through extended reality (XR) applications, participants will digitally shape vessels, watch Biennale exhibits come to life and create their own virtual exhibition space in a STEAM-based approach connecting Art, History, Technology and Culture.
The educational programme concludes on 29 and 30 October with Kritika of Rhodes: Local History and an Experiential Exploration of Place. Guided by Zeta Papandreou (PhD in History Education and Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Technical University of Athens), primary school students will explore local history within the Kritika refugee settlement itself and use clay to recreate some of its distinctive landmarks.
Documentary Screenings
Autumn also brings two screenings dedicated to ceramics. On 23 October, the Municipal Theatre of Rhodes will host the premiere of the documentary I Sought Earth, Water, Air and Fire to Shape You…, dedicated to the life and work of acclaimed Rhodian ceramic artist Kostas Neofytou. Directed by Giorgos Tzedakis and Dimitris Kokkinos and produced by the E. & M. Stamatiou Charitable Scholarship Foundation of Rhodes, the film explores the four elements as the foundations of ceramic creation.
On 30 October, the Inn of England will host a screening of CERAMICS, from Filep Motwary’s #craftingcyprus documentary series, in collaboration with the Cyprus Handicraft Service. The film explores the history and contemporary dimension of Cypriot ceramics.
Satellite Exhibition “Hic Rhodus”
From 9 to 31 October, at the Inn of France, Icaro Contemporary Art Gallery & Agency and the non-profit organisation Galleria Pe.Mu.Vi.A will present the group exhibition Behold Rhodes / Hic Rhodus, curated by Apostolis Artinou. Fifteen contemporary Greek artists draw inspiration from the ceramics of Rhodes’ iconic Ikaros pottery factory, creating contemporary works that challenge and redefine the notion of tradition.
Participating artists are Olga Vlassi, Leoni Yagdzoglou, Ioanna Gouma, Vassilis Zografos, Stella Kapezanou, Apostolos Karakatsanis, Konstantinos Ladianos, Kyriaki Mavrogiormi, Natalia Manta, Maro Michalakakou, Dimitris Neveskiotis, Giorgos Tserionis, Dimitris Frangakis, Ioanna Chatzipanigyri and Dionysis Christofilogiannis.
Academic Talks and Closing Symposium
The programme culminates on 31 October with an academic symposium at the University of the Aegean, in the “Cornelius Castoriadis” auditorium. A series of talks will bring together academics, art historians, curators, artists and the wider public, highlighting ceramics as a living vehicle of cultural memory.
The programme features Alivizos (Loizos) Sofos, Dean of the School of Humanities, with the talk Where Place Becomes Culture: From the Colossus of Rhodes to Contemporary Ceramics; Giannis Koukoulas, Assistant Professor of Visual Culture and Intervisual Approaches to Art, with From Marcel Duchamp to Ai Weiwei: Shaping, Reframing and Destroying Ceramics in Contemporary Art; Kyriaki Fardi with Milestones in the History of Rhodian Ceramics and Their Educational Approach; and Zeta Papandreou with Using Art in the Teaching of History: Educational Approaches to Controversial Historical Events.
The symposium will conclude with the presentation of the book The Travelling Ceramic, co-created by kindergarten children from Rhodes and Ankara under the supervision of Marianna Misiou (Assistant Professor, Department of Preschool Education Sciences and Educational Design, University of the Aegean) and Özlem Kanat (Assistant Professor, Ankara University), together with Stamatia Gianna (PhD in Children’s Literature and kindergarten teacher) and Sevda Göker (kindergarten teacher).
Main Exhibition and Guided Tours Until 31 October
Throughout the autumn, the Main Exhibition remains open across five landmark venues in the Medieval City of Rhodes: the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the de Milly Armoury, the Decorative Arts Collection of Rhodes, Panagia tou Kastrou and Kleovoulou Square at the Palace of the Grand Master.
Visitors can join curated guided tours of the exhibition on 11 September and 31 October, discovering works by 42 artists from 18 countries along a route that connects history with contemporary creation. A guided tour of the Medieval City will also take place on 31 October, in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Tourist Guides of the Dodecanese.
Starting from Rhodes and looking towards the Mediterranean, the Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics 2026, curated by Stamatia Dimitrakopoulou, Lucia Thomopoulou and Anissa Touati, completes its journey as an open platform for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and cultural narratives. Contemporary ceramics emerge as a living vehicle of culture, bridging places, histories and communities under the light of a shared Mediterranean horizon.
More information is available at bigbluedot.art.
