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Month: January 2026

Monaco art prize winner’s monumental sculptures head to Mexico City

by: Cassandra Tanti
15/01/2026

Three monumental bronze sculptures by Franco-Lebanese artist Simone Fattal will be displayed in Mexico City next month, following her win of Monaco’s prestigious International Contemporary Art Prize.

The Prince Pierre Foundation, in collaboration with Museo Jumex, will present Fattal’s works ‘Adam and Eve’ (2021) and ‘Door’ (2024) on the museum’s esplanade from 3rd February to 1st March, offering contemporary reflection on memory, the body and myth.

Fattal received the 49th International Contemporary Art Prize on 14th October 2025 during a ceremony at the Opéra Garnier in Monte-Carlo for her work ‘Sempre il mare, uomo libero, amerai!’ (2023).

Prestigious three-year prize

The International Contemporary Art Prize has been awarded by the Prince Pierre Foundation since 1983, with the first edition dating back to 1965. The prize carries a €75,000 award and has been granted every three years since 2010.

The prize is decided by an Artistic Council chaired by Princess Caroline of Hanover. Each council member selects three international art world experts who present a work created in the past two years and considered the most accomplished and representative of an artist’s work.

Cristiano Raimondi serves as artistic director for this edition.

From war to artistic voice

Born in Damascus, Syria in 1942, Simone Fattal has become one of the major voices in contemporary international art. Her artistic practice encompasses painting, sculpture, collage, writing and publishing, influenced equally by history and the contemporary world as by classical sculpture, mythology and ancient forms.

Fleeing the Lebanese civil war, Fattal settled in California in the 1980s, where she founded the independent publishing house Post-Apollo Press to support poetry and independent literature, notably the works of Etel Adnan.

It was only after enrolling at the Art Institute of San Francisco that Fattal began working with ceramics, a medium that has accompanied her artistic practice ever since.

Fattal’s nomination for the prize came from Christine Tohme, Lebanese curator and director of Ashkal Alwan, who emphasized the relevance of her work for understanding the social, political and ecological realities of our time.

International showcase

Since 2013, the prize winner has been presented outside the Principality at an international event. For the 2025 edition, the Prince Pierre Foundation chose to exhibit at Museo Jumex in Mexico City during the city’s art week.

The display continues the foundation’s tradition of giving international visibility to prize winners while promoting contemporary artistic creation—a mission that has guided the organization since its founding.

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Photo credit: Barbara Economon

Monaco’s diplomatic footprint expands as principality prepares for historic Council of Europe presidency

by: Cassandra Tanti
15/01/2026

Monaco’s diplomatic presence has expanded significantly, with the principality now maintaining relations with 165 countries as it prepares for a landmark year including its first presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.

Foreign Minister Isabelle Berro-Amadeï presented the diplomatic achievements and ambitious agenda during her New Year address to Monaco’s diplomatic and consular corps on 13th January at Hôtel Hermitage, describing 2026 as a “dense and strategic” year ahead.

Growing global presence

Monaco strengthened its international footprint in 2025 by establishing diplomatic relations with three new countries—Micronesia, Singapore and Trinidad and Tobago—through the signing of joint communiqués.

Nearly 30 ambassadors were accredited by Prince Albert II during the year, while Monegasque diplomacy reached a new milestone with the appointment of its first ambassador to the Gulf region, stationed in the United Arab Emirates.

The principality also made its mark at the Osaka World Expo, where its ‘Take Care of Wonder’ pavilion welcomed nearly 1.5 million visitors. Closer to home, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum organised in Monaco mobilised 1,800 participants and secured financial commitments totaling €8.7 billion to support the blue economy.

Historic Council of Europe presidency

Looking ahead to 2026, Berro-Amadeï announced Monaco will assume the presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from May to November—the first time since joining the organisation in 2004.

“This historic presidency will offer significant international visibility to the principality,” she stated, emphasising the government’s full mobilisation to ensure its success.

The six-month presidency will focus on priority themes including child rights protection, combating violence against women, and fighting organised crime. The role places Monaco at the helm of Europe’s leading human rights organisation, which comprises 46 member states.

Humanitarian principles and development aid

Addressing global crises, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed that Monaco “remains firmly committed to defending the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter” and pursues a cooperation policy that is “depoliticised and rooted in humanitarian principles.”

Official development assistance reached €74 million over the 2022-2024 period and will be reinforced for 2025-2027 to continue improving the lives of the most vulnerable populations worldwide.

The principality’s approach emphasises practical humanitarian action over political positioning, allowing Monaco to maintain cooperative relationships across diverse geopolitical contexts.

Diplomacy through dialogue

Saluting the engagement of foreign representatives and reaffirming the importance of dialogue and cooperation, Berro-Amadeï expressed her hope that “the opening year will be rich in projects, exchanges and fruitful collaborations.”

She concluded by expressing her wish that 2026 be placed “under the sign of trust, dialogue and solidarity”—principles that have guided Monaco’s expanding diplomatic engagement.

The expansion of Monaco’s diplomatic network and its upcoming Council of Europe presidency reflect the principality’s ambition to play an outsised role on the international stage relative to its small size. With just over 39,000 residents, Monaco has cultivated a diplomatic presence that rivals much larger nations, leveraging its unique position, financial resources and commitment to multilateral cooperation.

The May-November Council of Europe presidency will test Monaco’s capacity to lead complex multinational discussions on sensitive topics including human rights, rule of law and democratic standards—positioning the principality at the center of European political discourse during a critical period.

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Photo credit: Stéphane Dana, Government Communications Department

Grimaldi Forum extension pays dividends as “historic” 2026 calendar is revealed

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
14/01/2026

The Grimaldi Forum has unveiled a packed cultural and events programme for 2026, ranging from major international exhibitions to landmark exhibitions and performances, following a year of strong financial and operational results. 

The new season was unveiled on January 13th during the venue’s annual Review & Outlook which attracted more than 700 guests, held ahead of its traditional Galette des Rois gathering. Despite the extraordinary 2025 growth, said Director General Sylvie Biancheri, attention lies solely on the new season ahead.

Biancheri confirmed that the Grimaldi Forum closed 2025 with €28 million in turnover, an increase of 17% compared to the previous year, driven largely by the opening of its 6,000 m² extension and the focus on large-scale professional events.

“We are clearly on a very good path,” she said. “We have already reached our objectives for 2026 and are now exceeding them. If the current context remains stable, 2026, will be a historic year for us.”

Focus on fewer but larger events

In 2025, the venue hosted 64 professional events and 43 cultural performances. While the total number has decreased from previous years, their scale has increased, resulting in higher overall revenue.

“What we are seeing is fewer events, but much bigger ones,” Biancheri explained. “That is exactly what the extension was designed for.”

International events such as AMWC, Luxe Pack, Sportel, the Monte-Carlo Television Festival and Art Monte-Carlo continued to attract record attendance, while newer additions like the Blue Economy and Finance Forum and the Forbes Travel Guide Summit expanded Monaco’s international visibility.

A full cultural season in 2026

The 2026 cultural calendar opens in January with Marine Leonardi’s one woman show ‘Mauvaise Graine’ and the return of Monaco pour l’Emploi on February 6th. The Opéra de Monte-Carlo will then present Così fan tutte, staged within the Grimaldi Forum, followed in March by the 20th anniversary edition of ‘Les Sérénissimes de l’Humour’, featuring Issa Doumbia, Dany Boon and Nawell Madani.

Following, the spring programming includes the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, theatrical co-productions with the Théâtre Princesse Grace, concerts by David Hallyday and Jérémy Frerot, and the return of Art Monte-Carlo at the end of April.

The Monte Carlo Television Festival will then take place from June 12th to 16th, before a summer season that is marked by several major anniversaries. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will celebrate their 40th anniversary with special surprise performances in July, while the Paris Opera Ballet will present ‘La Dame aux Camélias’ in co-production with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo.

The year will close with Shrek the Musical in December.

Henri Fissore, President of the Grimaldi Forum and Sylvie Biancheri Director General during their speech, photo by Monaco Life.

Exhibitions and international projects

The biggest project for 2026 is the major exhibition ‘Monaco and the Automobile: From 1893 to the Present’, running from July to September. Supported by the Automobile Club of Monaco, the exhibition traces the Principality’s long relationship with automotive history.

“It’s an emotional and historical exhibition, not just for motorsport fans,” said Biancheri.

The Grimaldi Forum is also resuming the international circulation of its exhibitions. Colours!, one of its most visited shows with 75,000 visitors in Monaco, is opening in Beijing in January at the Mingzheng Art Museum, in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou.

Signing of a partnership agreement between the Grimaldi Forum and CMB Monaco, from left to right: Olivier Pagés, Étienne Franzi, Henri Fissore, and Sylvie Biancheri. Photo credit: Monaco Life

The venue has also renewed its ISO 14001 and ISO 20121 certifications and continues its CSR initiatives, including the redistribution of 26 tonnes of materials in 2025, among them 1.3 tonnes of food, and one solidarity day per employee per year.

The January 13th event also saw the integral, annual signing of the main partnership agreement between the Grimaldi Forum and CMB Monaco, formalised by Henri Fissore, Sylvie Biancheri, Étienne Franzi and Olivier Pagés.

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Main photo credit Monaco Life.

Saint-Charles municipal swimming pool to reopen after major six-month renovation

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/01/2026

Monaco’s municipal swimming pool, Piscine Saint-Charles, will reopen its doors to the public on Monday 19th January following six months of extensive renovation works aimed at modernising its infrastructure and improving long-term user comfort.

The renovation centred on a full renewal of the water and air treatment and heating systems, bringing the facility in line with modern standards for hygiene, safety and energy efficiency. The newly installed equipment features cutting-edge technologies designed to better manage consumption and resources responsibly, underlining Monaco’s broader commitment to sustainable public infrastructure.

Unlike the last refurbishment, which focused on aesthetic improvements to interior spaces and changing rooms, this latest intervention may not alter the visible layout of the pool but delivers a significant and lasting upgrade in thermal comfort. The freshwater pool will now be heated between 28°C and 32°C, and the atmosphere throughout the building has been enhanced to offer a more comfortable experience for swimmers and staff alike.

Activities resume for residents of all ages

The reopening also signals the full return of the pool’s popular activity schedule, with aquagym, aquabike and aquatrampo fitness (ATF) classes once again available to the public. Younger swimmers can rejoin the baby swimming sessions and swim school, while the imaginative and widely enjoyed ‘Mermaids’ classes, which involve swimming with a mermaid tail, will also resume.

Updated fitness room access and new classes introduced

One of the notable changes accompanying the reopening concerns the gym space adjacent to the pool. From now on, the facility will only be accessible as part of supervised sessions led by qualified coaches. This measure aims to ensure both safety and appropriate use of equipment. New additions to the class schedule include bodysculpt and spinning sessions, which will complement existing gentle exercise offerings such as oxygen and stretching.

Bookings for all sessions are already open, allowing regular users to plan ahead as the pool prepares to welcome swimmers back into its upgraded and modernised environment.

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Photo source: Mairie de Monaco

Strong turnout for ISM’s international education summit on AI and wellbeing

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/01/2026

The International School of Monaco has concluded its first major education conference, drawing hundreds of teachers and school leaders from around the world to discuss how schools should adapt to rapidly changing technology and growing concerns about student wellbeing.

The two-day ‘Innovate • Share • Empower’ summit, held on 9th and 10th January, featured workshops on 11 themes including artificial intelligence, inclusion, multilingual education and outdoor learning, reflecting the breadth of issues facing international schools today.

“We wanted to create a space where educators could share what’s actually working in their classrooms, not just theory,” said Abigail Furey, ISM’s Deputy Director Academic, who organised the event.

The conference comes as schools worldwide grapple with how to integrate artificial intelligence into teaching while maintaining focus on fundamental skills, and as mental health concerns among young people continue to rise post-pandemic.

Mental health takes centre stage

Kimberley Wilson, a chartered psychologist and author who regularly appears on BBC and Channel 4, delivered a keynote arguing for a more holistic approach to student mental health that considers nutrition and lifestyle alongside traditional psychological support.

“We can’t separate mental health from physical health,” Wilson told attendees. “What students eat, how much they sleep, whether they move their bodies—it all affects their ability to learn.”

Dr Eowyn Crisfield, founder of the Oxford Collaborative for Multilingualism in Education, addressed the specific challenges facing international schools where students may be learning in their second or third language. She emphasised the importance of “translanguaging”—allowing students to draw on all their languages as resources for learning.

The Learning Pit returns

James Nottingham, whose “Learning Pit” concept has become one of the most widely adopted teaching frameworks in recent years, spoke about productive struggle in education. The model, which visualizes learning as a process of getting “stuck” before achieving breakthroughs, has gained traction among teachers looking for ways to build resilience in students.

Nottingham, who has collaborated with education researchers Carol Dweck and John Hattie, released his latest book ‘Teach Brilliantly’ last year.

Kate Jones, from Evidence Based Education, focused her session on translating academic research into practical classroom strategies, particularly around retrieval practice and feedback—areas where she argues many schools still rely on intuition rather than evidence.

As schools worldwide continue to navigate post-pandemic recovery, technological disruption and evolving expectations around student wellbeing, events like ISM’s conference suggest a growing recognition that educators need structured opportunities to learn from one another across borders.

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Photos courtesy of ISM

White Lotus Season 4 to film at 19th-century château in Saint-Tropez

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/01/2026

The fourth season of HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ will film at a 19th-century palace-turned-luxury hotel in Saint-Tropez as creator Mike White continues writing the highly anticipated installment, according to Variety.

The Château de la Messardière, set within 32 acres of parasol pines, cypress trees and jasmine on the Côte d’Azur, will serve as one of several filming locations for the anthology series, which follows hotel guests and employees over the course of a week.

The château is part of Airelles Collection, a group of five-star hotels owned by Stéphane Courbit, founder and chairman of Banijay Group, the production company behind Survivor and Peaky Blinders.

HBO declined to comment to Variety.

French Riviera setting

Filming will begin at the end of April and continue through October, Variety has learned. True to White’s meticulous approach to crafting unique backdrops, Season 4 will not shoot entirely at a single property but will combine different venues along the French Riviera, with some scenes also filmed at a Paris hotel.

Room rates at Château de la Messardière typically start at around €1,100 per night in low season and can exceed €25,000 per night for top suites during peak summer in Saint-Tropez.

Cannes connection

While the plot remains tightly under wraps beyond HBO’s confirmation that it will follow a group of hotel guests and employees, sources told Variety the Cannes Film Festival could be part of the storyline.

Given that filming will take place on the Riviera during the festival, which runs 13to to 26th May, the timing appears plausible.

Casting is underway for Season 4, with a large number of French actors having auditioned for roles, according to Variety. The outlet reported last month that Alexander Ludwig (Earth Abides, Vikings) and AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs, Super 8) are the first new cast members announced.

Emmy-winning franchise

So far, only three cast members have appeared in more than one season of the anthology: Jennifer Coolidge, who played Tanya McQuoid in Seasons 1 and 2; Natasha Rothwell, who played Belinda Lindsey in Seasons 1 and 3; and Jon Gries, who has played Greg Hunt in all three seasons.

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Main photo courtesy of Airelles Château de la Messardière