With great success, the opening weekend of the Biennale of Contemporary Keramics (BCK) 2026 concluded this summer in the Medieval City of Rhodes under the title Where the Day Starts. Visitors from Greece and abroad, alongside distinguished guests, attended the official opening ceremony held at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes on 5 June, marking the beginning of a major cultural celebration dedicated to contemporary ceramic art.
The second edition of the BCK, running from 6 June to 31 October 2026, welcomed its first visitors on a unique journey through contemporary ceramic art and history within the Medieval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Curated by Stamatia Dimitrakopoulou (GR), Loukia Thomopoulou (GR), and Anissa Touati (FR), the exhibition invites audiences to explore a central exhibition unfolding across five landmark archaeological venues, transforming the city into a unified and immersive exhibition environment: the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the Armoury of de Milly, the Decorative Arts Collection of Rhodes, Panagia tou Kastrou, and Kleoboulos Square at the Palace of the Grand Master.
BCK 2026 brings together 42 emerging and established artists from 18 countries, presenting a rich and multifaceted body of work that expands on themes of memory, identity, migration, and transformation through the medium of ceramics. Taking Rhodes as its point of departure—located at the easternmost edge of Greece, where according to ancient Greek mythology “the day begins”—the participating artists draw inspiration from the island’s light, geography, and layered historical narrative.
The sun serves as the central axis of this year’s edition, illuminating the many expressions of contemporary ceramic practice while positioning Rhodes as a meeting point between history, tradition, and contemporary artistic creation.
The second Biennale of Contemporary Keramics is organized by the Big Blue Dot Biennale of Contemporary Keramics, in co-organization with the Region of South Aegean and the Municipality of Rhodes, with the support of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese. The event is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), the Embassy of France in Greece, the Embassy of Italy in Greece, and the University of the Aegean.
The opening ceremony on 5 June brought together representatives of the Greek government and local authorities, cultural institutions, members of the artistic community, collectors, sponsors and partner organizations, residents and visitors of Rhodes, as well as members of the Greek and international press. Their presence underscored the growing significance, dynamism, and international reach of the Biennale.
Official remarks were delivered by Iasonas Fotilas, Deputy Minister for Contemporary Culture and Representative of the Hellenic Government; Christos Michalakis, Vice Governor for Culture of the South Aegean Region; Efstathios Manousakis, Deputy Mayor for Culture of Rhodes; Eleni Farmakidou, Acting Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese; and Loukia Thomopoulou, Artistic Director and Curator of BCK. Messages were also read on behalf of Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, and Andreas Fiorentinos, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
As part of the opening weekend programme, two special performances were presented: The Falling Sky among the Linden Trees by Mohamet Amer Meziane at Panagia tou Kastrou, and Requiem to Throwing Water & Bead Rolling by Zoë Paul at the Inn of France.
Visitors also had the opportunity to participate in curated tours led by the Biennale’s curators across all five exhibition venues, as well as a guided tour of the Medieval City of Rhodes, organized in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Tourist Guides of Rhodes.
At the same time, the Inn of France hosted two scholarly lectures exploring different aspects of the Mediterranean’s ceramic heritage. The first, titled “Rhodian Ceramics: Makers, Collectors and Narratives,” was presented by Mina Moraitou, Curator of the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art, and George Manginis, Academic Director of the Benaki Museum. The second lecture, “A Sea of Ceramics: Production, Circulation and Use of Ceramics in the Aegean in Modern Times,” was delivered by Nikos Liaros, archaeologist, ceramic artist, and Vice President of the Board of the Centre for the Study of Modern Pottery.
The Biennale of Contemporary Keramics 2026 will run until 31 October 2026. Alongside the central exhibition, the Biennale features an extensive public programme including artist residencies, performances, lectures and presentations, screenings, workshops, educational programmes for students and educators, guided tours, and participatory activities for the wider public, all with free admission.
This year’s edition brings together the following artists:
Etel Adnan (LB), Myrsini Alexandridi (GR), Darien Arikoski-Johnson (US), Elysia Athanatou (CY), Leonardo Bartolini (IT), Elina Belou (FR), Emmanuel Bonis (GR), Robert Brambora (DE), Jorge Cabieses-Valdes (CL), Meriem Chabani – Gorbon Ceramics (DZ), Chous Ceramics (GR), Katya Desnenko (UA), Mauro Fariñas (ES), Malek Gnaoui (TN), Kyriaki Goni (GR), Luke Edward Hall (GB), Dionysis Kavallieratos (GR), Lynn Kodeih (LB), Tülay Kulbay (SE), Vasiliki Kyriaki (GR), Anne Kwasner (AU), Lucile Littot (FR), Lilian Lykiardopoulou (GR), Atalanti Martinos (GR), Fatima Mohisen (PS), Asunción Molinos Gordo (ES), Kostas Neophytou (GR), Ben Wolf Noam (US), Menandros Papadopoulos (GR), Zoë Paul (GB), GianMarco Porru (IT), Myrsini Roumelioti (GR), David Scanavino (US), Terpsichori Savvala (GR), Ayla Tavares (BR), Natalia Triantafylli (GR), Alban Turquois (FR), Lucille Uhlrich (FR), Elif Uras (TR), Giorgos Vavatsis (GR), Vuslat (TR), and Zoe Williams (FR).
Where the Day Starts
Dates: 6 June – 31 October 2026
Location: Medieval City of Rhodes, Greece
The Biennale transforms one of the Mediterranean’s most historically layered urban landscapes into a vibrant platform for contemporary ceramic art, fostering a dialogue between heritage, material culture, and contemporary artistic practice.
