AGORA, La place du musée – LAB #3 has transformed NMNM’s Villa Sauber into a dynamic space where art, innovation, and dialogue collide.
On 24th January, Monaco Life attended the opening of the latest exhibition at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM), AGORA, La place du musée – LAB #3, which will run until 4th May at Villa Sauber. The exhibition, curated by Benjamin Laugier, explores the evolving role of museums as spaces for dialogue, education, and innovation, coinciding with the NMNM’s preparations for a major structural transformation.
This third iteration of the LAB programme brings together works acquired by the museum since 2017, heritage collections, and creations from recent artist residencies.
Residency creations
Among the standout elements of the exhibition is the work of Portuguese artist Rita Ferreira, who presented her series of nine water paintings, Mal-me-quer. Inspired by natural motives and parasitic plants, the project reflects on layers and intersections to create complex compositions.
“I was thrilled when collectors acquired the series, as it was a challenging project to bring to life,” Ferreira told with Monaco Life. “The entire process was deeply personal, drawing entirely from my own archive.
The title, Mal-me-quer—a nod to the flower game “loves me, loves me not”—connects the natural motifs to themes of emotion and introspection.
The exhibition also features the work of Léna Durr, an NMNM artist-in-residence between 2022 and 2023. Durr examined Monaco’s African art collection, donated by Georges Jessula, to create a fictional interior filled with masks, statuettes, and jewellery, set against an archival frieze. Her work questions the provenance of such objects and the dialogue between personal passion and collective memory.
Meanwhile, Éléonore False, the museum’s artist-in-residence for 2023-2024, focused on Gisèle Tissier-Grandpierre’s collection of 1920s dolls. False enlarged photographs of the dolls to create collages and sculptures, accompanied by a musical score composed by her partner Nicolas Mollard.
Creative engagement
The exhibition is not limited to static displays. The accompanying Écoletopie project, developed by the design studio Smarin, offers visitors an alternative to traditional educational spaces. This ‘mediation salon’ encourages awareness, collaboration, and sustainability through workshops and discussions focused on posture, materials, and the environmental impact of design.
The museum’s Apprentis Collectionneurs programme also takes centre stage, showcasing contemporary works selected by high school students during an art fair visit. This year, students from the Lycée Albert Ier will travel to ARCOmadrid in March, with their final choices joining the NMNM’s growing collection.
A comprehensive programme of workshops, screenings, and performances will run throughout the exhibition. Key elements include the screening of Un Film Dramatique by Éric Baudelaire and a lecture performance by artist Léa Collet on 24th April. The museum’s hemicycle, designed by Olivier Vadrot, will serve as the central space for these events, described as a “space for discussion, exchange, and debate,” as stated by NMNM Director, Björn Dahlström.
For the full programme of workshops and screenings, click here: https://www.nmnm.mc/en/the-museum/education-and-mediation/.
Entry to AGORA, La place du musée – LAB #3 costs €6, with free admission for those under 26, job-seekers, and disabled visitors. The museum also offers free access every Sunday.
See more in Monaco Life’s video reel below…
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Photos by Monaco Life.