Monaco association Artists in Movement is putting the dark days of the pandemic behind and dotting the Rue Princesse Caroline with unique, exceptional works of art intended to delight and inspire.
The pandemic has been a trying time for everyone, particularly those who make their living in the artistic realms. Now, artists have come together to display their off-the-beaten-track pieces at the 7th Sculpture Biennial on Rue Princesse Caroline.
This open-air event showcases the works of several artists, including Maria Amos, Beli, Elisabeth Brainos, Jean-Marie Fondacaro, Héléna Krajewicz and Rob Rowlands, Made, Mirabelle, Patrick Montalto, Stéphanie Natera, Hervé Nys, Richard Pellegrino, Panagiotis Pougaridis, Gery Rudent, Setch and Xzav, who have made creations that are intended to stir emotion, provoke thought and make people smile.
The National Council has made a special point of visiting the site to support the artists and, during a private visit, President Stéphane Valeri accompanied by Daniel Boeri, President of the Committee for Culture and Heritage, and Michèle Dittlot, the Committee’s Vice-President, discovered of the Biennial’s 15 works.
Since 2009, the Sculpture Biennial has exhibited works in places that are not necessarily intended for such a purpose, opening the doors between their world and the public. This year’s theme, ‘An air of freedom’, seems particularly apt in light of the worries stemming from the past two years.
Artists in Movement was founded in 2008 by Bernard Tétu, an artist and entrepreneur, who wanted to create an organisation that defined itself as both humanistic and artistic. The association sponsors several charity events and programmes, notably the building of a cultural centre in Burkino Faso which has since hosted exhibitions of local artists, as well as concerts and shows.
The Sculpture Biennial will be available for all to discover from 14th September to 22nd October at several locations along the Rue Princesse Caroline.
This Thursday and Friday, different stakeholders will come together for the Transition Forum in Nice with the aim of finding solutions to the ecological challenges facing humanity. We speak to the forum’s founder Lionel Le Maux to find out more. Monaco Life: What is the purpose of the Transition Forum and how did it come about?
Lionel Le Maux: The aim of the Transition Forum is to bring together different stakeholders of the Ecological Transition (public and private decision-makers, financiers, researchers…) to debate around four major themes – Food, Housing, Moving/Production and Consumption – and their challenges. In the end, the aim is to encourage the emergence of concrete projects integrating these different stakeholders. This Forum project is my initiative, as an investor (I am president of Aqua Asset Management, an asset management company 100% active in the Ecological Transition) who believes that the solution comes from the ability to mix diverse experiences. The forum has been running since 2018. What would you say have been the biggest achievements in that time that you have witnessed?
A number of concrete projects have emerged from these meetings – decentralised energy production units, decarbonised mobility fleet, but I won’t establish a ranking. In the end, the greatest achievement is undoubtedly the sustainability of this event. Why did you choose ‘Time to Cooperate’ as this year’s theme?
At the time of the Green Deal and the necessary acceleration of the Ecological Transition, it seemed important to us to encourage cooperation between local authorities, private decision-makers and financiers because it is from this cooperation that solutions mixing public and private financing/operating methods can emerge. What do you expect to come out of this year’s Forum?
As in previous years, I believe that the Forum will be dedicated to bringing together concrete projects and ideas for collaboration between the public and private sectors. My expectations are not linked to a single outcome but rather to a multitude of projects. Will the Transition Forum return to Monaco in the future?
We are delighted to have organised this Forum the first two years in Monaco where we were very well received and thank the City of Nice for taking over.
The Transition Forum may move to another city for its annual event and/or for other events during the year. We will be delighted to come back to Monaco!
The Transition Forum takes place on Thursday 30th September and Friday 1st October at the Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice.
Monaco Life is proud to be a media sponsor of the Transition Forum.
MonacoTech, the start-up incubator founded in the Principality in 2017, has put out its annual call for new start-ups in the green, clean, bio-med, financial yachting and digital tech worlds.
Applications are now being accepted by the Principality’s premiere start-up incubator, MonacoTech, for companies who are in line with Monaco’s values and in their foremost strategic sectors.
New businesses looking for a boost with backgrounds in green tech, clean tech, biotech, medtech, fintech, digital or yachting are asked to submit applications between 27th September and 25th October before midnight in order to be considered.
The selection process will take place in three distinct stages starting with filing the application. The next step will be 20-minute online interviews taking place on 15th and 16th November, followed by the presentation of the project in front of a panel of judges on 2nd and 3rd December. Final decisions will be made in January to welcome the new start-ups in the new year.
MonacoTech offers comprehensive support for the winning applicants, giving them a programme focused on the application of best practices and personalised follow-up, workshops and events led by experts, and chances to connect with key players of the ecosystem such as entrepreneurs, partner incubators and investors. Additionally, the start-ups will have access to each other for idea-sharing and support as well as to the MonacoTech ‘Fab Lab’, which can be used for prototyping and experiments.
Projects are evaluated on several criteria. The potential and innovative character, how far along the project has been developed as only those with a first prototype will be considered, and a coherence between the project and Monaco’s values and goals will all be considered before making final choices.
Monaco, says MonacoTech, provides a perfect backdrop for these kinds of endeavours as it is international, open to innovation and experimentation and already wired for 5G.
A Monaco policeman was killed in a tragic road accident early Tuesday after his motorbike collided head-on with a car on the Moyenne Corniche.
The accident happened at around 9am on the Moyenne Corniche, according to a report by Monaco Matin. The police commander, identified late Tuesday as Christophe David, was riding his motorbike between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Eze when he was struck.
There is speculation the driver of the vehicle was unlicensed and took the turn too wide, leading to the collision, however an investigation is yet to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.
The policeman reportedly died on the scene, while the driver was taken to hospital together with another scooter driver who was following and unable to avoid the collision.
Traffic on the Moyenne Corniche was disrupted as the investigation was conducted and the scene cleared.
The tragedy comes just weeks after the deaths of two Monegasque firefighters who were killed while riding their motorbikes near Puget-Théniers.
Louise-Hippolyte, Anne-Marie Campora and Joséphine Baker have all been given the distinction of having spaces in Monaco named after them in honour of the impact each made on the history of the Principality.
Three new spaces in Larvotto have been dedicated to celebrate the lives and achievements of three women who had attachments to Monaco.
In a ceremony that took place on Saturday 25th September, Prince Albert II and Caroline, Princess of Hanover were present for the naming of these new public spaces, namely the Promenade Princesse Louise-Hippolyte, Place Anne-Marie Campora and Place Joséphine Baker.
Mayor Georges Marsan, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, Monseigneur Vicar General Guillaume Paris, representing the Archbishop of Monaco, and Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, welcomed the Prince and Princess along with high-ranking representatives from Monegasque institutions to celebrate the inaugurations. Members of both the Campora and Baker families were also on hand to witness the symbolic event.
“The Communal Council wished that three new Larvotto spaces pay tribute to three exceptional women,” said the Mayor in his speech.
The Louise-Hippolyte Promenade is named for the only sovereign Princess in the history of the Principality. Upon the death of her father, Prince Antoine I, in 1731, she ascended to the throne where she sat for only 10 months before her untimely death from smallpox at the age of 34.
Monaco’s first and only female mayor has been given her own square also, the Place Anne-Marie Campora, to mark her 12 years in office which spanned from 1991 to 2003. Prior to becoming mayor, she served on the Municipal Council for eight years. She is described as a woman “entirely devoted to her city, her country and its culture” and she was known to have worked tirelessly to improve daily life for all the people of Monaco. Some of her achievements included developing support services for the elderly and creating day and childcare options for children, such as mini clubs and drop-in centres.
Last but not least, Place Joséphine Baker has been dedicated to an internationally recognised multi-talented artist and the first black woman to become a star in France. Baker was more than just a talented star, though, she also served as a counterespionage agent, at great risk to herself, during World War II and played a part in the French Resistance efforts. Later in life, she became a vocal advocate for racial equality. She is the only American-born woman to receive full French military honors at her funeral, and she is interred in Louis II Cemetery in Monaco as a result of her close ties to Princess Grace and the Principality.
Plaques were unveiled at each of the locations by the Prince and Princess, followed by a blessing from Monseigneur Paris. Music accompanied each presentation. Municipal music was played at Place Anne-Marie Campora, a piece played on the harpsichord by a professor from the Rainier III Academy on the Promenade Louise-Hippolyte, and a piece depicting the Charleston was performed by the professors of the Conservatory of Jazz at the Place Joséphine Baker.
To finalise in the mayor’s words, “to attribute the names of these remarkable women to public spaces is to guarantee that they will continue to exist in memories (…) It is also to affirm the link between the history of Monaco and its future, between roots and modernity. Let us hope that these places maintain and nourish the memory of these great women, who were deeply attached to the Principality.”
On Wednesday night, the Monte-Carlo Casino will roll out the red carpet for the premier of the latest 007 film ‘No Time To Die’. But there is more to this glitzy evening than a celebration of Monaco’s connection to the iconic Bond franchise.
The film premier on Wednesday evening is highly anticipated for a number of reasons. Originally scheduled for 2020, the event had to be postponed twice because of the Covid pandemic. The film is also Daniel Craig’s final stint as the diabolically independent spy James Bond, a character he has played for 16 years. But more importantly, the entire event – including the red carpet film premier and after party at the famed Casino de Monte-Carlo – is raising money for the new Sir Roger Moore Award, to be presented by the Princess Grace Foundation USA.
“One of the many reasons why I am excited about this event is it pulls together so many things that are core to the Foundation’s mission,” Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, tells Monaco Life. “Firstly, we are celebrating Cary Fukunaga, director of the film, who won his Princess Grace Award and will be one of the first to say it was a pivotal moment in his early career. He credits the award with why he is now able to have this incredible career directing James Bond movies.
“We’re also celebrating the fact that Grace Kelly brought Hollywood to Monaco, and to be able to organise a big film premier here feels very true to her values. We feel so proud to be able to bring a little bit of that Hollywood sparkle back on behalf of her Foundation.
Brisa Carleton, CEO Princess Grace Foundation USA, and Christian Moore, son of Sir Roger Moore
“But the Roger Moore connection is really special because he was a resident here, he was so much a part of the community, and he was a very good friend of Princess Grace. Actually, he was one of the original founding members of this foundation… so it just feels like the coming together of so many things.”
Sir Roger Moore was the third actor to portray James Bond in the film series, playing the character in a remarkable seven feature films between 1973 and 1985. The Sir Roger Moore Award will be given annually to an emerging film maker at the Princess Grace Awards starting from 2022. Outside of film making, Moore devoted much of his time to being a goodwill ambassador for Unicef; it was for this humanitarian work that he was knighted in 2003.
His son Christian Moore, who is also part of the Bond event’s production team, tells Monaco Life: “As my father was one of the founders of the Princess Grace Foundation USA and was very much involved in that, to be recognised by the foundation and actually have this film come to Monaco as a premier is a very special thing for the family.
“The whole evening is supposed to be very Bondesque, so we are hoping that people will dress up and be in the flavour of the moment. This is unprecedented, it has never happened before in Monaco, so it is very exciting for all, including the Prince.” Roger Moore as 007 character James Bond, credit: Entertainment Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo
Grace Kelly and Roger Moore first met at a dinner in Hollywood and the pair apparently hit it off instantly. After Princess Grace made her home in Monaco, Moore began to visit her and the Princely family, with whom he and his children remained life-long friends even after Princess Grace’s passing.
“Monaco is all about family, and to be able to celebrate Princess Grace and Sir Roger Moore, with Prince Albert and Christian Moore, with the people who were shaped by these iconic people, is such an important part of everything we’re doing,” says Carleton.
The Princess Grace Awards were held virtually last week, with the aim of supporting and elevating extraordinary early career artists in theatre, dance and film through game-changing grants. Award winners are also nurtured and supported by the Foundation throughout their careers. This year, there were 18 award winners and 12 honoraria recipients.
Follow Monaco Life on social media as Editor in Chief Cassandra Tanti and Publisher Eric Brundage join guests for the exclusive ‘No Time To Die’ film premier and after party!
Top photo: SBM press centre
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