Larnaca Biennale 2025
The Open Call closes with a record 526 submissions from 76 countries
The 4th edition returns October 15th – November 28th with the theme ‘Along Lines and Traces’
The time has come for the return of Cyprus’ largest international contemporary art event and preparations for its biggest edition yet are already in full swing.
This spring marked stage one of Larnaca Biennale 2025 – the closing of the Open Call with hundreds of artists eager to participate and showcase their work in Larnaca. Now, the organising committee and this edition’s curator, Sana López Abellán, are reviewing the proposals submitted for the 4th edition.
Open Call Draws Unprecedented Global Interest
Growing in scale with each edition, this year saw a record-breaking 526 applications from 76 countries, surpassing previous numbers. Artists from across the world—from Argentina to Vietnam, from Iceland to South Africa—have submitted proposals for the 2025 edition.
The judging committee and curator are now in the final stages of selecting the participating artists for 2025. The results will be announced in mid-May, following confirmation with the selected artists, setting the stage for a new and exciting chapter of the Biennale.
Under the theme Along Lines and Traces, the Biennale will unfold over six-and-a-half weeks—from October 15 to November 28—with a dynamic programme of exhibitions and parallel events open to the public. The city of Larnaca and the surrounding region will once again transform into a vibrant cultural hub, connecting local and international artists, residents, and visitors alike.
The theme
For the 4th edition, the new curator, Sana López Abellán, selected a theme that expresses how we make sense of our world and our placement in it. ‘Along lines and traces’ reflects on metaphoric, symbolic, and physical expressions of the past, the present and the future. From how lineages and traditions develop, how stories are told, how thoughts are constructed, to how we move, how we connect and communicate, and how meaning is created and understood.
How can these be re-imagined along lines and traces, territories and heritage? The theme will come to life through curated art happenings and a carefully crafted sidebar program addressed to all ages – all to be unveiled shortly.
Curator Sana López Abellán comments on the theme:
“Building the biennale from an idea—sprouting from a theme I imagined—and witnessing how an international community of artists responds is thrilling. Each brings a unique interpretation and voice. Together, step by step, we shape this edition, evolving through collaboration, creativity, and the shared energy of many perspectives.”
The Committee
Behind the scenes, Larnaca Biennale takes shape through the collaborative efforts of a dedicated team and exemplary names of the art world. The founding organizing team works closely with the Committee, combining their expertise in curating, global art movements, creating art and liaising with Cyprus’ art scene.
This year’s Committee members are:
-Massimo Scaringella: an independent contemporary art curator and organizer of cultural events who curated and directed several global Biennales in the past.
-Dr Anca Boeriu: a lecturer at the National University of Arts in Bucharest, President of the Bucharest Graphics Branch and engraving and graphic arts artists.
-Stavros Ditsios: an artist and member of the Chamber of Visual Arts of Greece.
-Costas Mantzalos: a Professor at Frederick University Cyprus, an artist and co-founder of the TWO|FOUR|TWO art group.
-Froso Andreou: an E.KA.TE. (Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts) member, an artist and art teacher.
More details on their expertise and background can be found at www.biennalelarnaca.com/team-2
The curator
Sana López Abellán is a Dutch/Spanish curator, artist and anthropologist based in Catalonia, Spain. Her work is centred around transcending disciplines, oscillating between theory and practice and between the tactile and the symbolic. She has been involved in a variety of exhibition projects in The Netherlands, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Cyprus and Spain as well as coordinating public art commissions for contemporary artists in the United States. Trained in curating at EINA, Barcelona and the Node Centre for Curatorial Studies, Berlin, she brings her background in anthropology and material culture from Leiden University, The Netherlands, specialising in the relationship between the body and haptic textiles in the Ecuadorian Andes.
Alongside her independent practice, she has managed Alzueta Gallery´s countryside gallery Palau de Casavells, for the last two years, hosting several monographic exhibitions as well as group shows and a young collector’s room.
She is available for interviews any time between now and October 2025, when Larnaca Biennale 2025 launches. Press editors are encouraged to get in touch at [email protected] or tel. +357 99 403 010
Organizing team and associates:
Vassilis Vassiliades – Artistic Director
Michail Elia – Chief Coordinator
Maria Papadopoulou – Head of Marketing & Communications, Event Coordinator
Stavri Papadopoulou – Visual Identity, Event Coordinator
Doros Demetriou – Media Coordinator
Theodora Andreou- Head of Children’s Educational Program
Eleni Philippou- Press Officer
Antonis Antoniou- Web Design
Philippos Vasileiades- Graphic Design
Anastasia Melandinou- Animation
About Larnaca Biennale:
Larnaca Biennale is the only Arts Biennale in Cyprus and is organized in the city and province of Larnaca every two years by the registered non-profit Cultural Association ‘Artion’ Larnaca. The event has been in effect since 2018, lasts a month and a half and aims to promote and highlight the arts and culture both locally and internationally. As the largest international artistic organization in Cyprus, it attracts a significant number of visitors (over 60,000) with the participation of creators and collaborators from Cyprus and abroad.
Organisers:
ARTION Cultural Association of Larnaca
Main Sponsors:
Deputy Ministry of Culture CY/ Department of Contemporary Culture
Gold Sponsors:
OPAP Cyprus
Main Supporters:
Wonderdots LTD
Larnaka Municipality
Larnaka 2030 European Culture Capital candidate city
Partners:
Pierides Museum – Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation
Athienou Municipality
E.KA.TE. The Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts
WAVA World Association of Visual Arts
Osten Biennale Skopje
**If your business wants to support the biggest international art event in Cyprus send us an inquiry for our sponsorship packages at [email protected] by May 31st 2025.
For more information, please visit our official web page www.biennalelarnaca.com
Social media: Facebook / Instagram / X ( former Twitter) / YouTube / Vimeo @biennalelarnaca
For additional information, interview requests or hi-res images, please contact our Press Office: [email protected] or tel. +357 99 403 010
