A century after Marcel Duchamp turned his fascination with roulette into a radical art object, his ‘Obligation pour la roulette de Monte-Carlo’ returns to its place of origin—on display this week inside the iconic Casino de Monte-Carlo.
To mark the 100th anniversary of L’Obligation pour la roulette de Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has partnered with the Palais Princier and the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM) to bring one of Duchamp’s most subversive works home. From 1st to 8th May, the piece is being exhibited in the Atrium of the Casino de Monte-Carlo—the very venue that originally inspired it. The centenary celebration will culminate in a live performance by composer Luciano Chessa on 8th May in the Salle Blanche.
The work itself is a fusion of conceptual finance and avant-garde expression: a 1924 ‘bond’ created by Duchamp to raise funds for his gambling strategy in Monte-Carlo. The obligation, sold for 500 francs, promised a 20% return to shareholders and featured a striking image of Duchamp taken by Man Ray. Behind the artist’s face is a coded phrase—“moustiques, domestiques, demistock”—repeated as watermark, rendering each piece unique and deliberately irreproducible. As Duchamp merged game theory with artistic intent, he produced not just a financial instrument, but a ready-made masterpiece.
As art collector Jane Heap wrote in The Little Review at the time, “If someone wants to buy unusual works of art for investment, here is the opportunity to invest in a perfect masterpiece. Marcel’s signature alone is worth far more than the 500 francs asked for the obligation.”
To honour this iconoclastic spirit, the NMNM and Monte-Carlo SBM will host a free public event on 8th May at 18:30, where Luciano Chessa will debut a sound performance composed for two roulette tables, a piano and a soprano, all woven together with an unpublished poem by Monegasque writer Louis Notari. The evening will also include a conversation between curator Benjamin Laugier and artist Giovanni Casu, along with an interactive introduction to European roulette.
Monaco Life is produced by a team of real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Main photo source: MCSBM