Mediterranea 20 – Young Artists Biennial Borderless

 

Mediterranea 20 – Young Artists Biennale Borderless May 30 – June 30, 2025, Nova Gorica, Vipava & Gorizia Exploring the boundaries that define and unite us

 

„We live in a world that hurts. It hurts to witness injustice and to feel it in our own lives and the lives of others. And yet, simply naming what is wrong can feel hollow. It risks turning us into passive observers – those who point, grieve, and withdraw. Too often, art does the same: it reflects from a distance, moralizes, warns, yet remains untouched. As cultural workers, we know this position too well. Overstretched, under-resourced, and wielding tools that were never really meant for healing, we keep coming back to topics we think are relevant and that we don’t want people to forget. We keep picking up tools that might heal, if only a little. Perhaps representing ideas isn’t enough anymore. We need to embody them. We need to restructure the elements of our labour to fit the world we want to live in. For tomorrow. And still – we continue.“

 

We are pleased to announce the 20th edition of Mediterranea – Young Artists Biennale, a landmark event that brings together emerging artists from across Europe and the Mediterranean. Taking place from May 30 to June 30, 2025, in Nova Gorica, Vipava, and Gorizia, this year’s edition embraces the theme Our Collective Limits…, inviting visitors to reflect on the visible and invisible borders that shape our societies, our identities, and our future.

Rooted in a rich history that began in Barcelona in 1985, the Mediterranea Biennale is promoted by BJCEM – Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée. It has grown into a vital platform for intercultural exchange, supporting generations of young artists from across the region. This 20th edition is organized by GO! 2025 – European Capital of Culture and ŠKUC Association, promoted by BJCEM and curated by Tia Čiček and Misal Adnan Yıldız.

Unlike traditional notions of a “borderless” future, Mediterranea 20 proposes a deeper interrogation of how boundaries—geographical, psychological, political, and ecological—are formed, sustained, and dismantled. The Biennale becomes a space of encounter: a place to gather, to challenge, to listen, and to imagine alternative ways of being together.

Opening Days: May 30 – June 3, 2025

The Biennale opens with a dynamic series of events, including exhibitions, performances, conversations, and public gatherings. All participating artists will be present, offering audiences the unique opportunity to engage directly with the artists and their work.

A highlight of the opening days is the Forum of Young Artists on Saturday, May 31, a discursive platform designed to amplify the visions of emerging artists and explore the evolving role of art in society. The Forum will host panels, talks, and participatory sessions on cultural boundaries, artistic responsibility, and collective futures.

Exhibition Dates

May 30 – June 30, 2025

Across various venues in Nova Gorica, Vipava, and Gorizia

Opening Days Program

(Program attached)

Participating Artists

Over 90 young artists and collectives from across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa will take part in this edition. Their practices span visual arts, performance, sound, digital media, design, writing, and socially engaged work. Full list of artists includes:

Carlos Amores Carlos & Alba Fortes, Tasos Anastasiadis, Ates Alpar, Archivio Swag, Rasmus (Kjell) Arvidsson, Marcos Barrientossoriano, Pablo Bass de Fina, Albin Bergström, Ingrid Bjørnåli, Keit Bonnici, Robyn Bradford, Alice Capelli, Yuval Carasso, Teresa Carvalheira, Maria Cammarota, Lučka Centa, Iliada Charalambous & Afrang Malekian, Chiara Consiglio, Benedicte Dahm, Ronnie Danaher, Carmela De Falco, Natalia Di Cosmo, Armando Duçellari, Malak Elghuel, Cristina Ferreira-Szwarc, Samuel Ferreira, Helena Garcia Pinar, Alessandro Gambato, Domenika Georgiou, Andrea Glez, Irene Gordillo, Camilla Gurgone, Chadi Hazime, Oleksandra Horobet, Ilan Huart, Milica Janković, Tajda Jug, Ajda Kadunc, Ida Kammerloch, Irini Kalaitzidi, Theano Karafoulidou, Ioli Kaskani, Dalia Khalife, Sofia Kiousi, Hannah Koselj Marusic, Thanasis Kritsakis, Gašper Kunšič, Emma Lewis-Jones, Juliana Lindenhofer, Diego Lobenal, Natalia Manta, Leon Marič, Marica Mastromarino, Matteo Messori, Alice Minervini, Miriam Montano, Alberto Montes, Helio Music, Christian Offman, Adrián Ordóñez, Gaja Pegan Nahtigal & Liza Sočan, Pino Pograjc, Redina Qose, Savina Ražnatović, María José Ríos, Sara Rman, Tommaso Sandri, Marisa Satsia, Nour Shantout, Eivor Slågedal, Swamp Matter, Eda Sutunç, Helena Tahir, Valentina Toccaceli, Filippo Toscani, Transhumanza, Archontoula Tsatsoulaki, Theodora Vasileiadou, Stefano Ventilii, Sophie Wurnig, Wen Mao Yo, Amir Youssef, Yun Zhang.

BJCEM members:

ARCI Lombardia (Italy), ARCI Nazionale (Italy), ARCI Regionale Emilia Romagna (Italy), ARCI Torino (Italy), Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Spain), Ayuntamiento de Malaga (Spain), Ayuntamiento de Murcia (Spain), CANTOS, Foundation for Arts (Egypt), Città di Torino, Clube Portugues de Artes e Ideias (Portugal), Comune di Bologna (Italy), Comune di Campobasso (Italy), Comune di Ferrara (Italy), Comune di Milano, Comune di Padova (Italy), Comune di Parma (Italy), Deputy Ministry of Culture, Department of Contemporary Culture Visual Arts (Cyprus), FLUKS – Center for young art (Norway), GAI – Giovani Artisti Italiani, (Italy), International Peace Center, Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Culture and Arts Directorate of the Culture and Arts Department (Turkey), Ministry of Culture and Media (Montenegro), Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation (Albania), Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs, Department for Culture and Youth Artistic Creativity Youth Directorate,General Secretariat for Demography and Housing Policy (Greece), Municipality of Thessaloniki, (Greece), Municipality of Tirana (Albania), Regione Puglia (Italy), Roma Capitale (Italy), Sabancı University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Turkey), Segreteria di Stato per l’Istruzione e la Cultura; Istituti Culturali – Arti Performative (San Marino), ŠKUC Association, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Teatro di Sardegna, (Italy), The Cultural Cooperative Association for Youth In Theatre and Cinema – SHAMS, Beirut (Lebanon), Timespan (UK), UK New Artists (UK), Unfinished Foundation (Malta), University of the Republic of San Marino (San Marino).

BJCEM External Partners

Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport, Wien, Austria BJCEM is supported by Città di Torino.

For media inquiries, interview requests, or press accreditation, please contact: communication@bjcem.org, press@go2025.eu or press@euro-go.eu.