"Thalatta, Thalatta!"

A journey from Hope to Responsibility

A Floating Mediterranean Cultural Initiative for Ocean Awareness

Thalatta, Thalatta!” is a large-scale interdisciplinary cultural action distinguished by three core elements:

A floating exhibition literally travelling at sea, hosted onboard the passenger vessel Knossos Palace, transforming a maritime route into a moving cultural and environmental platform.
Participation of 12 of the most renowned contemporary Greek visual artists and 12 equally distinguished poets, creating newly commissioned works specifically for this initiative.
An equal and autonomous dialogue between visual art and poetry, where poems are presented as independent exhibition works, printed on canvas and curated alongside paintings and sculptures.

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Objectives

The action aligns with the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” by activating culture as a driver of citizen mobilisation and marine awareness. Its objectives are to:

Mobilise citizens through direct engagement with the sea as both cultural symbol and vulnerable ecosystem.
Strengthen ocean literacy by translating marine sustainability, biodiversity protection and environmental responsibility into accessible artistic experience.
Establish a replicable floating exhibition model that integrates cultural practice within maritime mobility and the sustainable blue economy.
Foster cross-sector collaboration between cultural institutions, maritime transport operators, museums and Mediterranean networks.
Support new artistic production addressing marine responsibility and ecological transition.

The action contributes primarily to citizen engagement, knowledge dissemination, cultural innovation and blue economy awareness.

The Narrative

The phrase “Thalatta, Thalatta!” — “The sea! The sea!” echoes one of the most powerful moments in ancient Greek history. It was the cry of relief of Greek soldiers who, after a long and difficult journey, first sighted the sea and realized they had survived and could return home. The sea thus became a symbol of hope, arrival and renewal.

Today, this meaning resonates differently. The sea remains a horizon of possibility, but it is also a fragile ecosystem at a critical moment.

Thalatta Thalatta brings together contemporary visual art and poetry through newly commissioned works that place the sea at the centre of artistic reflection. Presented across ports, islands and aboard a travelling passenger vessel, the exhibition unfolds within the very environment it addresses, inviting audiences to see the sea not only as heritage, but as a shared responsibility for the future.

The journey

June – September 2026

"Thalatta Thalatta" unfolds as a cultural journey across the Greek sea.
The exhibition travels between major maritime and cultural locations, culminating in a unique floating exhibition hosted onboard a passenger vessel sailing between Piraeus and Crete.

Exhibition Route

Piraeus Municipal Theatre – Port of Piraeus
Onboard the passenger vessel Knossos Palace while travelling to and from Crete
Museum of Visual Arts of Heraklion – Crete
House of Culture and Education – Tinos Island
Melina Mercouri Cultural Centre – Athens

Each location forms part of a continuous journey where contemporary visual art and poetry dedicated to the sea are presented across ports, islands and maritime routes, transforming the exhibition into a moving cultural experience.

Communication plan

The activity will be promoted through a coordinated communication strategy combining cultural media, press (Athens Voice), national television (ERT), maritime networks and digital platforms.

Communication will include press releases, interviews and articles in cultural and maritime media outlets. Promotion will also take place through the communication channels of project partners and maritime stakeholders.

Digital communication will include a dedicated online presence, social media dissemination, visual documentation, and the production of a short documentary film documenting the floating exhibition and the public engagement around it.

This documentary will be produced in collaboration with Leica Academy.

The project will also be promoted through maritime networks, cultural institutions and Mediterranean cultural organisations, enabling outreach to diverse audiences including travellers, port communities, cultural audiences and maritime stakeholders.

All communication materials will highlight our Supporters endorsement and emphasize their role in strengthening ocean literacy and public engagement with marine protection.

Expected Impact

The project is expected to generate multi-layered impact:

Direct engagement of diverse audiences across Athens, the Aegean maritime route and Crete, including travelers, families, youth and cultural audiences.
Increased awareness of the fragility of marine ecosystems through emotionally resonant artistic interpretation.
Demonstration of how maritime transport infrastructure can host environmental cultural initiatives, reinforcing sustainable blue economy narratives.
Creation of a scalable model: following its initial implementation between Athens and Crete, the floating exhibition will continue along Greek coastal routes and island networks, and subsequently expand to Mediterranean maritime corridors in collaboration with partner institutions.
Strengthened Mediterranean cultural cooperation through the Mediterranean Poets Network.
Long-term dissemination through documentation, media partnerships and digital platforms.

By situating art physically on the sea, “Thalatta, Thalatta!” transforms a historic cry of survival into a contemporary call for collective responsibility — aligning cultural action with the European ambition to restore marine ecosystems by 2030.

The initial implementation is expected to reach:

6,000–8,000 physical visitors across all exhibition venues
8,000–10,000 onboard passengers exposed to the floating exhibition during the maritime crossings
50,000+ digital impressions through media coverage, documentary production, and online dissemination

SUPPORTERS