Young British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith is set to appear on the storied stage of the Opéra Garnier later this month as part of the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival.
The ‘Blue Lights’ and ‘Where Did I Go?’ singer will be performing at the famous venue on the evening of Wednesday 14th August from 8pm.
It will be the first time that the 26-year-old, who has made a name for herself thanks to her captivating blend of soul, jazz and resonating lyrics, has played to a Monaco crowd, and local fans will be looking forward to hearing hits from her critically acclaimed debut and follow-up albums.
Her gig is one of the final dates of the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival, coming just one day before Lenny Kravitz performs the first of two shows, which will formally close the programme.
Tickets for Smith’s concert start from €120 and can be reserved here.
A new photography exhibition showcasing the desert landscapes and rich cultural history and heritage of Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region has opened on the Promenade du Larvotto. Monaco Life headed down to the open-air exhibit to meet with some of the eight artists involved in ‘AlUla: A Tapestry of Creativity’.
Between 3rd August and 3rd September, the free outside exhibition on the Promenade du Larvotto will be presenting the works of eight artists either from or connected to the region of AlUla, including Moath Alofi, Huda Beydoun, Lance Gerber, Catherine Gfeller, M’hammed Kilito, Matthieu Paley, Robert Polidori and Prince Michel de Yougoslavie.
Curated by Arts AlUla in collaboration with Experience AlUla, the exhibition consists of 23 huge, blown-up photographs that are displayed on 3m x 2m panels. The images portray the geological, archaeological and artistic elements of AlUla, a region in Saudi Arabia known for its rich cultural heritage and striking landscapes.
Speaking to Monaco Life at the opening of the exhibition, Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of AlUla’s Arts and Creative Industries, said, “AlUla is an infinite source of inspiration for artists from different eras and cultures that today once again establishes itself as an international benchmark in the world of art and culture.”
Nora Aldabal (second from left) with Philip Jones, Chief Tourism Officer for the Royal Commission for AlUla (second from right) and artist Huda Beydoun. Photo by Monaco Life
When asked about how the artists were chosen, Aldabal explained, “A lot of the artists have engaged in previous programmes or came on individual trips of exploration to AlUla, so the selections were made by a curatorial team that put together the selection of artists, but also the selection of artworks and how they would converse with the environment of AlUla.”
A glimpse into AlUla
Many of the artists attended the launch event, including Moath Alofi, who is known for capturing cultural artefacts and hidden treasures within Madinah, a historically significant city in Saudi Arabia revered as the second holiest city in Islam.
“My aim was to document the artefacts and the archaeological side of AlUla and create a sort of sense of nostalgia,” Alofi shared with Monaco Life.
Huda Beydoun, whose works feature prominently in the exhibition, has made a name for herself in Jeddah as a visual artist and fashion photographer.
She said, “I love to mesh things that might not seem like they can mix well and make a cohesive story.”
Lance Gerber, based in Southern California, focuses on the transformative effects of desert landscapes, while Catherine Gfeller, a French-Swiss artist, brings her fascination with urban environments to AlUla. M’hammed Kilito, a National Geographic Explorer from Casablanca, documents communities in geopolitically sensitive areas, and French photographer Matthieu Paley has exported his experiences documenting isolated Himalayan communities and overlain them on the Saudi Arabian region. Finally, Robert Polidori, known for his architectural photography, has captured the intersection of history and modernity in AlUla.
The exhibition aims to attract a diverse audience and draw attention to the region’s heritage and the talents of the participating artists.
“It’s really about reaching an audience that might know little about AlUla so they can learn more about it and hopefully come visit,” said Aldabal. “It’s also an opportunity to share the artistic and cultural exchange between Monaco and AlUla.”
Visitors can learn more about the art and artists through an official English, Arabic and French brochure, which is available by scanning the QR code on the back of the first panel, or by clicking here.
To see more of the exhibition, watch the Monaco Life Instagram reel below:
A total of 11 new reserves have been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, boosting global efforts in biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and cutting-edge scientific research. Monaco was among 72 countries to make it happen.
The International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (CIC-MAB), held in Agadir, Morocco from 1st to 5th July, was filled with an air of confidence in action plans for the future and well-deserved pats on the back for the successes currently being achieved.
The session was opened by Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, who spoke to the 270 representatives from 72 nations in attendance, which included a delegation from Monaco.
The programme, which has been in existence since 1971, is an intergovernmental science-based affair designed to “improve the relationship between people and their environment” by combining natural and social sciences. The goal is to protect people’s livelihoods while raising awareness of the need to protect natural and managed ecosystems.
This has been done by creating a web of World Network of Biosphere Reserves – the biggest and oldest nature reserve collection under the UNESCO umbrella.
This year’s meeting saw 11 new reserves added to the mix in as many countries, including two trans-border sites. It brings the total protected zones to an area reaching 37,400km2 – a space roughly the size of The Netherlands – in 759 locations in 136 regions. The biosphere reserves now represent 5% of the Earth’s surface, an impressive figure.
MONACO’S INVOLVEMENT
Monaco was represented at the event by Agatha Korczak, First Secretary to the Permanent Delegation of the Principality to UNESCO.
Since 2022, the Principality has been a major supporter of a Man and the Biosphere (MAB) scholarship for young researchers. Seven of the 15 participating students have been beneficiaries of Monegasque aid, giving rise to the Council’s approval of naming the scholarship the Prince Albert I of Monaco Prize for MAB Youth in honour of the Sovereign’s legacy as an ardent patron of oceanography and science.
The funds are intended for the specific scientific study of marine, coastal and island areas, and are in line with Monaco’s commitment to the Ocean Decade, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development.
The next CIC-MAB meeting is scheduled for September 2025 during the 5th World Biosphere Reserves Congress, which will be held in Hangzhou, China.
A century on from his maternal grandfather’s gold medal, a visibly touched Prince Albert II of Monaco has commemorated his family’s Olympic legacy by presenting the 2024 winners of the rowing double sculls with their prizes.
On Friday 2nd August, Prince Albert was honoured with the task of handing out the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals for the men’s rowing double sculls at a prize giving ceremony at the Vaires-sur-Marne water sports stadium.
As he placed the medals around the necks of the victorious Romanian team, headed up by Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache, the pride in which Monaco’s sovereign took in participating in the event was clear for all to see, with a warm and heartfelt smile brightening his face.
It is 100 years exactly since John B. Kelly, the father of Prince Albert’s mother, Princess Grace, won gold with his partner, Paul Costello, in the very same discipline during the 1924 Olympics in France.
John B. Kelly is pictured on the right, with Paul Costello on the left. Photo via Palais Princier de Monaco
It was his third gold, making Kelly the first rower to ever win three Olympic gold medals in the sport.
HONOURING JOHN B. KELLY
Following the ceremony, the Prince was invited to a reception organised by the International Rowing Federation in honour of his grandfather and his lasting legacy within the rowing community.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach also attended the event alongside the president of the World Rowing Federation, Jean-Christophe Rolland, and several of Prince Albert’s extended family members.
A visibly moved Prince Albert was joined at the tribute event by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and the head of the World Rowing Federation, Jean-Christophe Rolland. Photo via Palais Princier de Monaco
“I was very honoured to present these medals,” the Prince later said in comments to the French press. “With my cousins from Philadelphia and my close friends, we thought of my grandfather. 100 ago, not quite on the same pool, but almost to the day, he won his third gold medal… My maternal grandfather was an extraordinary athlete, but he also had this beautiful vision of what the world should be, thanks also to sport. We were very happy to pay tribute to him.”
Art3f, the travelling art fair that introduces the latest trends and creators from the contemporary art world to more than half a million people in Europe every year, will be returning to the Chapiteau de l’Espace Fontvieille later this month.
Back in 2012, a group of art lovers got together and created Art3f with the goal of breaking down the barriers of the art world and making contemporary art more accessible.
Today, the concept is regularly welcomed by cities and exhibition centres across Europe – some 20 different locations will be hosting Art3f during 2024 – and upwards of 500,000 visitors browse the eclectic collections displayed at the show each year.
“In order to offer the public artistic events that are both original, affordable and qualitative, Art3f shakes up the codes of traditional contemporary art fairs by favouring the direct relationship between artists and their public,” say Art3f organisers.
Monaco has been on the show’s list of stops since 2014, and has become a popular destination with exhibitors and visitors alike.
The show is set to be held at the Chapiteau de l’Espace Fontvieille between 23rd and 25th August. A whole array of styles and artistic genres will be on display, and a charitable auction benefitting a number of local associations is being organised for the final day of the event.
Tickets cost €7 if purchased in advance or €10 at the door. For more information about the Principality leg of Art3f, click here.
