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, which includes workshops for artists and the public, educational activities for schoolchildren, 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 place, memory, and the 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 forum for artists, researchers, educators, schoolchildren, college students, and the general public.

Μasterclasses 

September kicks off with three workshops aimed at artists, conservators, and anyone who loves ceramics. On September 4, 5, and 6, at the England Inn, antiquities conservator and museologist Nektaria Dasakli 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 contemporary, 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.

Next, from September 11 to 13, the workshop “Ceramic Glazes—An Introduction to Glaze Technology” will be held with 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 techniques.

On October 9, museologist and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens professor Marlen Mouliou will present 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 for Architectural 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 at the University of the Aegean—brings contemporary ceramics into the classroom. Elementary and secondary school students and teachers are exploring the history and culture of Rhodes through a creative fusion of art and science, at venues of the University of the Aegean, at the England Residence, the “Haravgi” multipurpose venue in Ialysos, and 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 (Adjunct Professor, Children’s Literature), Litsa Paraskeva (ceramics teacher), 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 explore Rhodian pottery through geometric shapes, patterns, and analogies, with presenters Rosa Vlachou (Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Education) and Konstantinos Kanta (Primary Education Advisor PE70 & Postdoctoral Researcher) .

On October 8, at the England Residence, 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 students in elementary education.

On October 15 and 16, the three-part workshop series “Ceramics of the Sun—From Tradition to Augmented Reality,” led by Stavros Pitsikalis (Adjunct Professor, 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 welcoming middle school students, college students, and educators in turn to the University of the Aegean’s Digital Innovation Hub (EduTech DIH). Through extended reality (XR) applications, participants digitally sculpt 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 a Hands-On Exploration of the Area.” 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 Municipal Theater of Rhodes, the premiere of the documentary “I Sought Earth, Water, Air, and Fire to Shape You…” will take place, dedicated to the life and work of the great Rhodian ceramicist, Kostas Neophytou, directed by Giorgos Tzedakis and Dimitris Kokkinos and produced by the E. & M. Stamatis Rhodes Scholarship Public Benefit Foundation, 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—in collaboration with the Cyprus Handicraft Service—will be screened, dedicated to the history and contemporary dimension of Cypriot ceramics.

Satellite Exhibition “Hic Rhodus”

From October 9 to 31, at the French Residence, Icaro Contemporary Art Gallery & Agency and Galleria Pe.Mu.Vi.A (A.M.K.E.) 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 notion of tradition. Participating artists: Olga Vlassi, Leoni Giagdzoglou, Ioanna Gouma, Vasilis Zografos, Stella Kapezanou, Apostolos Karakatsanis, Konstantinos Ladianos, Kyriaki Mavrogiorgi, Natalia Manta, Maro Michalakakou, Dimitris Neveskiotis, Giorgos Tserionis, Dimitris Fragakis, Ioanna Hatzipanigyri, Dionysis Christofilogiannis.

Scientific presentations and closing workshop

The event culminates on October 31 with a scholarly conference at the University of the Aegean, in the “Cornelius Castoriadis” auditorium. A series of academic presentations will bring together scholars, art historians, curators, artists, and the general public in a dialogue, highlighting ceramics as a living vehicle of cultural memory. Participants in the program include Alivizos (Loizos) Sofos, Dean of the School of Humanities, with the lecture “Where Place Becomes Culture: From the Colossus of Rhodes to Contemporary Ceramics,” Yannis Koukoulas, Assistant Professor of Visual Culture and Interdisciplinary Approaches to Art, on the topic “From Marcel Duchamp to Ai Weiwei: Shaping, Reframing, and Destroying Ceramics in Contemporary Art,” Kyriaki Fardi with a talk titled “Milestones in the History of Rhodian Ceramics and Their Educational Approach,” and Zeta Papandreou on the topic “The Use of Art in Teaching History: Teaching Approaches to Controversial Historical Events.” The workshop 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 sites of 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 with 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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