2026 Break the Rules

Traditionally, mosaic art has been governed by a series of conventions that guided how tesserae (small fragments of stone, glass, or ceramic), were cut, arranged, and placed. These rules included uniformity of size and material, strict adherence to line and direction, and the disciplined use of andamento—the flow and rhythm of tesserae that gives classical mosaics their harmonious character. However, like all enduring art forms, mosaics are not fixed in time.

Today, contemporary mosaic artists are challenging these rules and experimenting with scale, texture, and material, introducing found objects, recycled fragments, and unconventional substances alongside traditional glass and stone. They are reshaping andamento, disrupting the flow to create tension, abstraction, and new rhythms of movement. Contemporary mosaic art embraces asymmetry, and welcomes spontaneity and imperfection into what was once a strictly ordered practice.

Break the Rules celebrates this spirit of reinvention. OMA invites viewers to witness how ancient traditions can be honored and transformed, demonstrating that mosaic is not a relic of the past, but a living, evolving art form.