The Biennale of Contemporary Keramics (BCK) 2026 returns for its second edition, titled Where the Day Starts, transforming the Medieval City of Rhodes into an international hub for contemporary ceramic art, from June 6 to October 31, 2026.

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m., at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, marking the start of a three-day program of events, which includes guided tours led by the curators, academic lectures, site-specific performances, and tours of the Medieval City. BCK spans five iconic and historic sites, offering visitors a unique experience of exploration, like a map within the map of the Medieval City.

Curated by Stamatia Dimitrakopoulou (GR), Loukia Thomopoulou (GR), and Anissa Touati (FR), BCK 2026 highlights contemporary ceramics as a dynamic and evolving medium of artistic expression, as well as a vital vehicle for intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean. With Rhodes, at the easternmost tip of Greece, and its Medieval City—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—as its focal point, where, according to ancient Greek mythology, “the day begins,” the Biennale draws on the city’s light, geography, and historical layers to create a cohesive artistic framework that connects the past with the present.

The Sun, as a universal symbol of life and transformation, runs through this year’s Biennale as a central narrative thread, illuminating the many facets of ceramic practice and highlighting Rhodes as a place where history, light, and contemporary creation coexist.

This year’s event brings together 42 artists from 18 countries, creating a diverse landscape of contemporary practices and artistic approaches. Participating artists include: Etel Adnan (LB), Myrsini Alexandridi (GR), Darien Arikoski-Johnson (US), Elysia Athanatou (CY), Leonardo Bartolini (IT), Elina Belou (FR), Εmmanouil 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), Vassiliki Kyriaki (GR), Anne Kwasner (AU), Lucile Littot (FR), Lilian Lykiardopoulou (GR), Atalanti Martinou (GR), Fatima Mohisen (PS), Asunción Molinos Gordo (ES), Kostas Neofytou (GR), Ben Wolf Noam (US), Menandros Papadopoulos (GR), Zoë Paul (GB), GianMarco Porru (IT), Myrsini Roumelioti (GR), David Scanavino (US), Terpsichore Savvala (GR), Ayla Tavares (BR), Natalia Triantafylli (GR), Alban Turquois (FR), Lucille Uhlrich (FR), Elif Uras (TR), Giorgos Vavatsis (GR), Vuslat (TR) και Zoe Williams (FR).

The artists were selected through an international open call that attracted more than 300 applications, as well as through invitations from the curators, bringing together a dynamic mix of emerging and established voices in contemporary art.

The international jury for BCK 2026 consists of the three curators, as well as: Cristina Anglada—curator and writer (ES), Florian Dauget Bresson—curator of contemporary ceramics and art dealer (FR), Karina El Helou – Director of the Sursock Museum (LB), Orhan Gorbon – CEO of Gorbon Tiles and arts patron (TR), Stefano Collicelli Cagol – General Director of the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato (IT), Katerina Gregou – Artistic Director of EMST (GR), Nikos Liaros – Archaeologist, Ceramicist (GR), and Theodora Chorafa – Ceramicist, Educator (GR), forming a multidisciplinary group with a strong presence in the fields of contemporary art, curation, and ceramic practice.

The Main Exhibition is spread across a network of five iconic archaeological and historical sites in the Medieval City of Rhodes, transforming the city into a unified exhibition space and inviting visitors on a journey of discovery through the urban fabric. These include the de Milly Armory, the Rhodes Cosmetic Collection, Panagia tou Kastrou, the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, and Cleobulus Square at the Palace of the Grand Master.

As part of the Biennale, awards are presented to recognize contributions to contemporary ceramic art, with an emphasis on artistic exploration, innovation, and engagement with the contemporary cultural landscape. At the same time, artists Kostas Neofytou from Rhodes and Menandros Papadopoulos from Athens are honored for their overall contributions.

BCK 2026 is a continuation of the first event in 2024 in Santorini, which was a major success, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and garnering the support of major institutional and private entities, highlighting the Biennale’s potential as an emerging international institution in the contemporary art scene. The Biennale is nomadic in nature, as it is held every two years on a different Greek island, fostering dialogue between contemporary art and the local cultural identity of each host location.

With Rhodes as its starting point and its gaze turned toward the Mediterranean, the Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics 2026 serves as an open platform for the exchange of ideas, practices, 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.