The Biennale of Contemporary Keramics (BCK) 2026 is moving into its next phase, expanding its public program starting in September with a series of events that invite the public to discover, explore, and participate in the world of contemporary ceramics. With the Main Exhibition remaining open through October 31 in the Medieval City of Rhodes, the BCK is presenting an extensive fall program this fall, open to everyone and free of charge, featuring workshops for artists and the public, educational activities for students, college students and educators, academic lectures and presentations, documentary screenings, satellite exhibitions, and guided tours, culminating in a closing symposium on October 31.
A large part of the fall program is being implemented in close collaboration with the University of the Aegean, fostering dialogue between Art, Education, Science, and Technology. Taking the Sun—the central theme of this year’s BCK—as its starting point, ceramics becomes the common ground through which different intellectual and creative approaches converge, raising questions about the place, memory, and identity of the Mediterranean.
From September 4 through October 31, BCK 2026 will take its activities to various locations across Rhodes, both within and outside the Medieval City, creating an open space for artists, researchers, educators, schoolchildren, college students, and the general public.
Participation in all events of the parallel program is free, and reservations are required via the ArtVolt app.
DETAILS OF THE PARALLEL PROGRAM
Masterclasses – Workshops for Artists and the Public
September kicks off with three workshops aimed at artists, conservators, and anyone who loves ceramics. On September 4, 5, and 6, at the English Lodge, Nektaria Dasakli, an antiquities conservator and museologist, will introduce participants to the Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold in the workshop “Introduction to the Traditional Japanese Kintsugi Technique.” Based on the wabi-sabi philosophy, the workshop views wear and tear as a carrier of memory and value, highlighting cracks rather than hiding them. Through an introductory theoretical presentation, participants will learn about both the authentic traditional technique and its more modern, sophisticated applications. As part of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to discover the basic stages of kintsugi restoration, while also repairing a small ceramic object using a simple, modern method.
This will be followed, from September 11 to 13, by the workshop “Ceramic Glazes — An Introduction to Glaze Technology,” led by artist Giorgos Vavatsis, at the “Bonis” ceramics studio in Archangelos. Participants will explore the composition of glazes, test recipes at different firing temperatures, and watch demonstrations of basic glazing methods.
On October 9, museologist and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens professor Marlen Mouliou presents the experiential workshop “Where Objects Take on Meaning and Touch Our Souls: The Healing Power of Museums,” at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes and the English Lodge, in collaboration with the Rhodes Association of Architecture and Cultural Heritage.
Educational program for schoolchildren, college students, and educators
Starting in 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. Elementary and secondary school students and teachers explore the history and culture of Rhodes through the creative intersection of art and science, at venues of the University of the Aegean, at the English House, at the “Haravgi” multipurpose space in Ialysos, and in the Cretan settlement.
On September 21, 23, and 30, the three-day workshop “Traces of Rhodes’ Culture and History Through Ceramic Art” will welcome students from the Department of Primary Education at the University of the Aegean and elementary school teachers. Under the guidance of Dimitris Kokkinos (Member of the Special Teaching Staff, Children’s Literature), Litsa Paraskeva (ceramics instructor), and Kaiti Paraskeva (director of the “Haravgi” multipurpose space), participants are imprinting symbols and motifs of the island onto clay.
On October 7, at the Mathematics Laboratory of the University of the Aegean, the workshop “When Mathematics ‘Shapes’ Art” invites 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade elementary school students to interpret Rhodian pottery through geometric shapes, patterns, and proportions, with presentations by Rosa Vlachou (Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Education) and Konstantinos Kanta (Primary Education Advisor PE70 & Postdoctoral Researcher).
On October 8, at the England Lodge, Kyriaki Fardi (Member of the Special Teaching Staff, University of the Aegean) will guide 5th and 6th-grade elementary school students on a “Journey Through Time via the History of Rhodian Pottery,” from ancient vases to 20th-century ceramics and the industrial heritage of “Ikaros.” On October 15, at the same venue, the workshop will be repeated in a version designed for teachers and elementary education students.
On October 15 and 16, the workshop trilogy “Ceramics of the Sun—From Tradition to Augmented Reality,” led by Stavros Pitsikalis (Member of the Special Teaching Staff, School of Humanities, University of the Aegean) and a team of research collaborators consisting of Ilona-Eleftheria Wasitsa, Charalambos Syrgiannis, Eleni Syrmou, and Charalambos Retsos, is hosting, in succession, middle school students, university students, and educators at the University of the Aegean’s Digital Innovation Hub (EduTech DIH). Through extended reality (XR) applications, participants create digital vases, watch Biennale exhibits “come to life,” and create their own virtual exhibition space, in a STEAM approach that connects Art, History, Technology, and Culture.
The educational program concludes on October 29 and 30 with the activity “The Cretans of Rhodes: Local History and an Experiential Exploration of the Space.” Under the guidance of Zeta Papandreou (Ph.D. in History Education, postdoctoral researcher at the National Technical University of Athens), elementary school students explore local history within the Cretan refugee settlement itself and use clay to recreate its distinctive landmarks.
Documentary Screenings
Fall also brings two screenings dedicated to ceramics. On October 23, at the Rhodes Municipal Theater, the premiere of the documentary “I Sought Earth, Water, Air, and Fire to Shape You…,” dedicated to the life and work of the great Rhodian ceramicist, Kostas Neophytou, directed by Giorgos Tzedakis and Dimitris Kokkinos and produced by the Rhodes Scholarship Public Benefit Foundation E. & M. Stamatis, which explores the four elements as the foundation of ceramic creation. On October 30, at the English Lodge, the film *CERAMICS* from Filep Motwary’s documentary series #craftingcyprus by Filep Motwary, in collaboration with the Cyprus Handicraft Service, dedicated to the history and contemporary dimension of Cypriot ceramics.
Satellite Exhibition “Hic Rhodus”
From October 9 to 31, at the House of France, the Icaro Contemporary Art Gallery & Agency and the non-profit organization Galleria Pe.Mu.Vi.A will present the group exhibition “Behold Rhodes / Hic Rhodus,” curated by Apostolos Artinos. Fifteen contemporary Greek artists draw inspiration from the ceramics of the iconic Ikaros pottery in Rhodes and create contemporary works of art that challenge the concept of thetraditional. Participating artists include: Olga Vlassi, Leoni Giagdzoglou, Ioanna Gouma, Vasilis Zografos, Stella Kapezanou, Apostolos Karakatsanis, Konstantinos Ladianos, Kyriaki Mavrogiorgi, Natalia Manta, Maro Michalakakou, Dimitris Neveskotis, Giorgos Tserionis, Dimitris Fragakis, Ioanna Hatzipanigyri, Dionysis Christofilogiannis.
Scientific presentations and closing workshop
The event culminates on October 31 with a scientific symposium at the University of the Aegean, in the “Cornelius Castoriadis” auditorium. A series of academic lectures will bring together academics, art historians, curators, artists, and the general public, highlighting ceramics as a living vehicle of cultural memory. Participating in the program is Alivizos (Loizos) Sofos, Dean of the School of Humanities, with the lecture “Where Place Becomes Culture: From the Colossus of Rhodes to Contemporary Ceramics,” and Yannis Koukoulis, Assistant Professor of Visual Culture and Interdisciplinary Approaches to Art, with the topic “From Marcel Duchamp to Ai Weiwei: Shaping, Re-framing, and Destroying Ceramics in Contemporary Art,” Kyriaki Fardi with the talk “Milestones in the History of Rhodian Ceramics and Their Educational Approach,” and Zeta Papandreou on the topic “The Use of Art in Teaching History: Pedagogical Approaches to Controversial Historical Events.” The conference concludes with the presentation of the book “The Traveling Pottery,” co-created by preschool children from Rhodes and Ankara under the supervision of Marianna Misiou (Assistant Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education, University of the Aegean) and Özlem Kanat (Assistant Professor, Ankara University), as well as Stamatia Gianna (Ph.D. in Children’s Literature and Preschool Teacher) and Sevda Göker (Preschool Teacher).
Main Exhibition and Guided Tours through October 31
Throughout the fall, the Main Exhibition remains open at the five iconic venues in the Medieval City: the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the de Milly Armory, the Rhodes Cosmetic Collection, Panagia tou Kastrou, and Cleobulus Square at the Palace of the Grand Master. Visitors can take part in curated guided tours of the exhibition on September 11 and October 31, discovering the works of 42 artists from 18 countries on a journey that bridges history and contemporary art, as well as a guided tour of the Medieval City on October 31, in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Tour Guides of the Dodecanese.
Starting in Rhodes and with its gaze turned toward the Mediterranean, the Biennale of Contemporary Keramics 2026, curated by Stamatia Dimitrakopoulou, Loukia Thomopoulou, and Anissa Touati, concludes its journey as an open platform for the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and cultural narratives, where contemporary ceramics emerges as a vibrant vehicle of culture that bridges places, stories, and communities, in the light of a shared Mediterranean horizon.
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EVENT ORGANIZER IDENTITY
Artist Support
AT AGENCY
Bernier / Eliades Gallery
THE BREEDER
BROWN UNIVERSITY
CIF – Contemporary Istanbul Foundation
CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN RHODES
CULTURE MOVES EUROPE
GALERIA TRAVESIA CUATRO
GALERIST
INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DE GRÈCE
LA BOÎTE | CENTRE D’ART ET D’ARCHITECTURE
LE 32 BIS
RISD
SAHA
SEALED EARTH GALLERY
School of Fine Arts, University of Chile
TURKISH GENERAL CONSULATE IN RHODES
Hospitality Partners
Mitsis Group
ACANDIA
APOLLO BEACH HOTEL
APOLLO BLUE HOTEL
ATHINEON
Atrium Hotels & Resorts
Blu Collection
CENTO PALME
EDEN ROC RESORT
ELECTRA BY THE SEA RHODES
Esperia Group
Esperos Palace Resort & Spa
H HOTELS COLLECTION
HOTEL ATHENA RHODES
HOTEL HERMES
Lindos Grand Resort & Spa
LINDOS MARE
Lindos Village Resort & Spa
Featured photo: Where the Day Starts, Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics 2026. Medieval City of Rhodes ©Bill Stamatopoulos.