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Day: 21 June 2023

Rémi Camus’ epic swim from Calvi reaches Monaco’s shores

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/06/2023
remi camus

French adventurer Rémi Camus has completed an extreme 180-kilometre open water swim lasting 13 days to raise awareness about the plight of the oceans.  

Explorer and extreme sports personality Rémi Camus already has some pretty amazing feats under his belt. From running across Australia to river boarding the Mekong River, as well as swimming the length of the French coast from Dunkirk to Monaco, he is not one to shy away from a challenge.  

His latest achievement, though, has a more personal feel. The explorer has just landed in Monaco after swimming eight hours a day for 13 days in a journey that took him from Calvi in Corsica to Monaco, all in the name of ocean protection awareness. 

His plan had been to do the crossing completely unassisted, but this proved impractical, so he was followed by a sailboat that kept track of his progress. Camus did, however, pull a small craft along behind him during the swim, which provided his shelter and a place to store gear. 

Three years in the making 

The 180-kilometre journey, which took three years to train for, was filled with ups and downs.  

“The most difficult thing was not having water easily to drink,” Camus told France Bleu upon arriving in Monaco. “I had to use a desalinator and pump… And I could see the crew drinking quietly, not very far away, on the sailboat! It’s when we see that life is easy with tap water.” 

But there were high points as well, with the adventurer enjoying moments with wildlife not often recorded.  

“I had beautiful encounters: whales, dolphins, turtles, rays, jellyfish…” he said, adding that the force of the Mediterranean did sometimes take him by surprise. “It’s a raging sea, with swells, currents and very strong winds. I faced waves of several meters!” 

 

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A post shared by Remi Camus (@remi_camus_explorer)

But what he said he found most alarming was the amount of plastic floating around.  

“I saw bits of plastic everywhere as I approached the coast. On camera, it barely shows anything at all, but they’re everywhere, these little bits [of plastic]. I wanted to show that. I left [on this mission] to educate the public. If we want to continue on this planet, we have to do something so that our children can benefit from it.” 

 

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Photo source: Calvi Monaco 2023 / The Next Exploration Facebook

Prince Albert on historic High Seas Treaty: “With this agreement, we are breaking the status quo”

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/06/2023

The Treaty of the High Seas, backed by Monaco, has been adopted by consensus and standing ovation during the United Nations meeting in New York. In his speech to the UN, Prince Albert said the treaty must now be implemented “as quickly as possible”.

The adoption of the Treaty on 19th June, also known as BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), is an historic achievement marking the successful end of more than a decade of multilateral work.

It is considered key to protect the ocean, promote equity and fairness, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and prevent biodiversity loss in the high seas.

It has been a priority for the European Union and its Member States, as well as the Principality of Monaco and its Head of State Prince Albert II.

In his address to the United Nations, of which Monaco has now been a part of for 30 years, Prince Albert said: “With this agreement, we are breaking the status quo. We commit ourselves to fighting more effectively against the threats affecting the seas and oceans (…)

“The same determination that led to the conclusion of the negotiations must drive us forward so that this historic agreement is implemented as quickly as possible.”

Prince Albert addresses the United Nations as the Treaty of the High Seas is adopted unanimously. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger, Prince’s Palace

What is written in the Treaty?

Areas beyond national jurisdiction cover nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean, comprising the high seas and the Area, which is the seabed beyond national jurisdiction. They contain marine resources and biodiversity that provide invaluable ecological, economic, social, cultural, scientific and food-security benefits to humanity.

However, they are under mounting pressure from pollution – including noise, overexploitation, climate change and decreasing biodiversity.

The BBNJ Treaty sets up a procedure to establish large-scale marine protected areas in these high seas. It will facilitate efforts to reach the target to effectively conserve and manage 30% of land and sea by 2030, which was agreed in December 2022 within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

It also contains clear rules to conduct environmental impact assessments, with the right checks and balances, before running activities in the high seas.

The Treaty will enter into force when 60 parties ratify it.

“This is a major win for biodiversity – a game changer for the protection of the ocean and the sustainable use of its marine resources,” EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries VirginijusSinkevičius said. “The European Union and its Member States are committed to signing and ratifying the BBNJ Agreement as soon as possible. We urge others to do so too, as we hope the BBNJ Treaty will receive universal ratification and swiftly enter into force.”

This agreement is in addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework under which all activities in the ocean take place.

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Feature photo of Prince Albert at United Nations meeting in New York on 19th June credit Frédéric Nebinger, Prince’s Palace

 

Art world’s biggest names to be exhibited at Monaco Masters Show 

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/06/2023

This summer’s Monaco Masters Show will feature incredible post-war and contemporary pieces from some of the art world’s biggest names at the Opera Gallery. 

From Marc Chagall’s onirism to Jean Dubuffet’s humanism and Fernand Léger’s tubism, the Opera Gallery will have it all – and more – at the upcoming Monaco Masters Show, which is now in its 15th year.  

This annual event is a celebration of the “genius of artists who have shaped and continue to influence the art world through their creativity” and has grown to become a mainstay on the cultural calendar of the Principality. This year, it is gathering important works from each of the Opera Gallery’s 16 locations and bringing them together under one roof in a once-in-a-lifetime event. 

Fernand Léger, La statuette et le vase rouge

CHAGALL, LEGER AND MORE 

The 400m2 gallery will feature works by modern artists such as Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger and Pierre Soulages as well as contemporary ones like Fernando Botero, Juan Genovés and Manolo Valdés. 

Amongst the pieces on display will be Still Life with Three Butterflies, the 1948 post-cubist masterpiece by Léger that vacillates between the symbolic and the abstract, combining recognisable forms over graphic shapes and bands of colour, including something resembling a mouth seconding as a planter. Bright and bold, like all his work, this one stands out for its quirky, yet sophisticated, charm. 

Jean Dubuffet’s Pendule IV (Flamboiement de l’Heure)

Also on display will be Jean Dubuffet’s Pendule IV (Flamboiement de l’Heure). Dating from 1966, this impressionist piece representing a clock in red, white and blue is a symbol of how the artist deconstructs the reality of an everyday object to reveal a different reality.  

Marc Chagall’s Lovers in the Village on a Red Background from 1968 is also in the exhibition. This dreamy composition blends the artist’s own personal and family history with Eastern European folklore, and features a flying man, animals, elements of Jewish tradition and peasant life.  

Marc Chagall’s Lovers in the Village on a Red Background

CHARITABLE ASPECT 

Opera Gallery is once again joining in a partnership with Mission Enfance, the Monaco-based humanitarian association that helps facilitate the education of underprivileged children around the world. Some of the proceeds from the sales will be donated to the charity.  

The Monaco Masters Show takes place from 5th July to 31st August. For more information, please click here.

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Images source: Opera Gallery