Monaco’s Quai Antoine 1er Exhibition Hall has been transformed into an immersive oceanic journey with ‘Demain l’Océan?’, running until 7th September. The exhibition brings together 34 artists from five continents to explore the relationship with the world’s seas through 71 works including photography, painting, sculpture, and video installations.
Curated by Elodie Antoine with scenography by Thomas Guillaume, the show coincides with the 3rd UN Ocean Conference and forms part of France’s ‘La Mer en Commun-Année de la Mer’ initiative.
Six-part oceanic journey
Rather than giving direct environmental messages, Elodie Antoine designed the exhibition as a thoughtful journey through six thematic sections. “The idea was to place the spectator facing a horizon that can be somewhat turbulent,” she explains.
The first thematic section, called ‘The Horizon’, opens with diverse mediums including embroidery, photography, video and painting. Featured artists include Kiatu, a Guyanese artist who “reconnects with Asian tapestry,” and Lucas Arruda, whose Amazonian childhood memories create “imagined horizons” through his unique paint-removal technique.
‘Fauna and Flora’ represents the second section and it immerses visitors in an underwater world through green colour schemes. “Little by little to enter into the depths,” Antoine explains. This section features ceramics, bronzes, mobiles, and drawings.
Following, ‘Inhabiting the Shore’ examines humanity’s coastal relationship, exploring how beaches have densified with mass tourism while questioning our responsibility to protect these spaces.
The fourth section, ‘The Sea in Peril’, addresses contemporary environmental threats through installations showing pollution impact and microplastics. ‘What Future for the Ocean?’ concludes with works visualising extreme weather, rising seas and climate disasters, questioning what awaits without immediate action.
Global perspective
Antoine avoided a Mediterranean-centric approach: “I didn’t want us to make an exhibition that only spoke about the Mediterranean.” The international scope addresses marine pollution, climate migration, and rising sea levels through works from multiple continents.
The exhibition, organised by Monaco’s Direction des Affaires Culturelles, aims to reflect the principality’s maritime heritage, from Prince Albert I’s 1921 warnings about marine destruction to Prince Albert II’s current conservation work.
‘Demain l’Océan?’ runs until 7th September 2025 at the Quai Antoine 1er Exhibition Hall and is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 1pm-7pm with free entry.
See more in Kyriaki Topalidou’s video below…
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Main photo by Monaco Life.