As temperatures hit boiling point across Monaco and the French Riviera, the Principality’s museums and exhibition spaces offer the perfect relief from the heat, all while delivering exceptional cultural experiences.
From oceanic art journeys to Napoleon’s hidden connections with the Principality, here are five unmissable exhibitions to visit before they close their doors.
‘Demain l’Océan?’ – until 7th September
The Quai Antoine 1er Exhibition Hall has been transformed into a captivating oceanic voyage featuring 34 international artists exploring humanity’s relationship with the sea through 71 works.
Curated by Elodie Antoine, this thoughtfully structured exhibition guides visitors through six thematic zones—from ‘The Horizon’ to ‘What Future for the Ocean?’—without delivering heavy-handed environmental messaging. Instead, it places spectators before what Antoine describes as “a horizon that can be somewhat turbulent”.
The international scope ensures diverse perspectives on marine pollution and climate change.
The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday, 1pm-7pm with free entrance.
‘Cactus’ at Villa Sauber – until 11th January 2026
The National Museum of Monaco presents a unique exploration of humanity’s centuries-long fascination with nature’s most resilient plants.
The collaborative exhibition with Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech features over 200 objects spanning from pre-Columbian codices to contemporary installations.
Co-curated by botanist Mark Jeanson and former Centre Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon, the exhibitions traces cacti’s journey from their natural habitats into European minds and artistic imagination.
The exhibition extends beyond the museum walls into Villa Sauber’s gardens, the latter of which has been transformed into a living cactus display.
‘Monaco and the Napoleons’ – until 31st August
Prince Albert II inaugurated this revelatory exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum in July, unveiling the profound but little-known connections between the Principality and both Napoleonic Empires throughout the entire 19th century.
The exhibition’s seven sections reveal how the Grimaldi dynasty became deeply embedded in the Napoleonic world, from Prince Honoré V’s role as equerry to Empress Joséphine, to the ‘Great Alliance’ of 1861 with Napoleon III that secured Monaco’s future prosperity.
Nearly 200 works from the private Iakobachvili collection bring these historical relationships to life.
‘Couleurs!’ at Grimaldi Forum – until 31st August
The Grimaldi Forum presents an extraordinary celebration of colour through over 100 works by modern masters including Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, and Basquiat, all drawn from the Centre Pompidou’s collection.
Curated by Didier Ottinger, this innovative exhibition transcends traditional gallery experiences through seven immersive monochromatic zones enhanced with original soundscapes by composer Roque Rivas and olfactory atmospheres crafted by perfumer Alexis Dadier in partnership with Fragonard.
Meanwhile, French architect Marion Mailaender has created bold living space installations featuring iconic design pieces by Ron Arad, Jean Prouvé, and Philippe Starck, blurring the boundaries between fine art and daily life while exploring how colour shapes human experience through sight, sound, and scent.
‘Visions’ at Mareterra – until 23rd November
Artist Olivia Cognet has created a series of monumental ceramic works specifically designed for Renzo Piano’s floating architecture at Monaco’s newest district.
Following a four-month residency, Cognet’s exhibition presents what she describes as “a dense, silent ensemble” of bas-reliefs, sculptural lights, vertical totems, and hybrid forms that enter into dialogue with space, gravity, and light.
Located at 8 Quai du Petit Portier, nestled in the heart of the Mareterra district, her ceramic works provide an earthen counterpoint to Mareterra’s high-tech urbanism, exploring what Cognet calls “the fertile tension between grounding and ascension”. Meanwhile, her works create an ongoing conversation between ancient ceramic traditions and contemporary architectural innovation.
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Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life.