Artexplorer: a museum catamaran to sail the Mediterranean

The French foundation Art Explora has launched Artexplorer, a 46.5-meter catamaran designed by naval architects Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier. The vessel, which can host up to 2,000 visitors daily, will embark on a two-year journey across the Mediterranean starting from Marseille, visiting 15 countries including Italy, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. Built with sustainable materials and solar panels, the ship features a modular exhibition space. Its inaugural show, "Icons! Images, discourses and representations of women in the Mediterranean," curated by Noëmi Daucé of the Louvre's Department of Oriental Antiquities, explores female representation in art through immersive audiovisual formats. The exhibition is produced by Art Explora in collaboration with the Louvre. Additionally, a residency program developed with Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) will host artists collaborating with scientists and researchers, with outcomes presented at each port of call.