VIMA Art Fair 2026 Navigates Regional Turmoil with 'The Waves Crashing' Theme
The second edition of VIMA Art Fair, themed 'The Waves Crashing', opened in Limassol, Cyprus, amid regional upheaval. The fair coincides with a rescheduled, reduced-format Art Dubai, forcing galleries like The Third Line and NIKA Project Space to split teams across both events. Curator Kostas Stasinopoulos leads an independent programme featuring performances, film, and durational works that resist commodification. Highlights include Serapis Maritime's sculptural seating from used clothing bales, Diogo da Cruz's whale forms inspired by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, and Manolis D Lemos's AI-generated waves. Local collectives Dance House Lemesos, korai Project Space, and Sessions activate stages. VIMA announced a Public Acquisition Programme to place works in Cypriot collections. The fair runs until 17 May.
Key facts
- VIMA Art Fair's second edition is themed 'The Waves Crashing'.
- Art Dubai was rescheduled to the same weekend as VIMA, creating logistical challenges.
- The Third Line and NIKA Project Space are exhibiting at both fairs.
- Curator Kostas Stasinopoulos organized a programme of performance, sound, and film.
- Serapis Maritime created 'MOTHER TRADE 3 (I Love My Boat)' from compressed clothing bales and fishing ropes.
- Diogo da Cruz's sculptures reference Alexis Pauline Gumbs's 'Undrowned'.
- Manolis D Lemos uses AI to generate wave forms.
- VIMA launched a Public Acquisition Programme for Cypriot museums.
- The fair runs until 17 May 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Sarah Awad
- Richi Bhatia
- Zé Tepedino
- Renée Levi
- Mert Öztekin
- Diogo da Cruz
- Manolis D Lemos
- Serapis Maritime
- Ramina Saadatkhan
- Sunny Rahbar
- Veronika Berezina
- Jad Karam
- Lara Özdoğan Kalari
- Kostas Stasinopoulos
- Alexis Pauline Gumbs
- Lara Kotreleva
- İeva Saudargaitė Douaihi
- Viktorija Zaiceva
- Yuli Karatsiki
Institutions
- VIMA Art Fair
- Art Dubai
- The Third Line
- NIKA Project Space
- Gallery Isabelle
- Öktem Aykut
- Takeover
- CUT ART
- Kalfayan Galleries
- Dance House Lemesos
- korai Project Space
- Sessions
- A.G. Leventis Gallery
- Canvas
Locations
- Limassol
- Cyprus
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Riga
- Latvia
- Paris
- France
- Greece
- Caspian Sea
- Eastern Mediterranean
- Middle East
- Sharjah