Three concurrent art events marked the vibrant start of summer in Monaco: the Monaco Art Week, held from July 6 to 12, with the participation of local galleries and institutions, accompanied the most important commercial art event in the Principality, the Art Monte-Carlo fair, at the Grimaldi Forum from July 7 to 9, and the simultaneous opening of the major "Couleurs" exhibition featuring works loaned by the Centre Pompidou in Paris, open until the end of August.
Art Monte-Carlo Salon d'Art
The ninth edition of the boutique fair featured around twenty prestigious international galleries, offering a wide variety of works to local and international collectors. The selection of 20th-century art was particularly sought after: the offerings ranged from million-dollar works by Picasso, Magritte, and Chagall, to more accessible intimate drawings by Leonor Fini, a recent rediscovery in surrealism and female art, presented by the Durazzo Gallery.
There was a strong presence of Italian art, thanks to galleries like Moretti, Cortesi, and Robilant+Voena, showcasing works by Alighiero Boetti, the Pop Art of Mario Schifano, Giorgio de Chirico's metaphysical works, alongside sculptures by Arnaldo Pomodoro and Marino Marini.
Lucio Fontana, with his recognizable cuts and holes, was the most represented artist, with million-dollar canvases but also works on paper and multiples starting from a few tens of thousands of euros, presented by the Turin-based Galleria Accademia.
Contemporary art was also well represented with mirrors by Anish Kapoor and Pistoletto from Galleria Continua, Massimo Listri’s interior photography at Moretti, Ugo Rondinone’s sculptures at Mennour, and the embroidery of Vezzoli at Franco Noero.
In addition to these established living artists, many younger, up-and-coming artists were featured, offering more accessible works for those purchasing art for the first time.
It was, therefore, a fantastic opportunity to support seasoned collectors’ purchases as well as those of newcomers.
High-Quality Museum Exhibitions
The art market is strengthened by the presence of robust institutions that emphasize the cultural and historical aspects of the works and the careers of the artists.
The decision to present dozens of masterpieces from the Parisian museum, according to the seven colors selected by the curators, was particularly successful. This display brought together Klein's intense blue with Fontana's pink cuts and holes, Pollock's deep black with Manzoni’s kaolin white, Modigliani's red faces with Picasso’s cubist green. All of this culminated in an enormous and spectacular board of 1024 colors painted by Gerhard Richter’s infinite patience. These were accompanied by the design environments and experiential rooms created specifically for the event… a must-see!
In addition to the Pompidou masterpieces, the Monegasque public this summer can enjoy three excellent exhibitions: at the two national museums, the one dedicated to the original and amusing theme of Cacti in Art at Villa Sauber, and another on the relationship between Coco Chanel and Art at Villa Paloma; at the Port, in the Cultural Affairs Department spaces, an exhibition on the future of the Oceans, worth visiting and reflecting upon.
A rich summer of art, then, in anticipation of the resumption of fairs and auctions in September.