Re-inventing Monegasque Culture - Just For You

Publication date: 09/05/2020
Monaco's leading cultural institutions are devising innovative new ways for the public to discover and share art and culture.

To stay in touch with the public and continue to do what they do best, they have come up with a host of innovative initiatives and regularly suggest a range of varied activities. Whether you’re alone or as a family, keep up with the latest cultural activities in the Principality, and most importantly, have fun!

Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra

Under its President H.R.H the Princess of Hanover, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra continues to delight music lovers, with its “L’OPMC à la maison” (“The MCPO At Home”) initiative. The members of the orchestra meet daily via video-link, to perform selected pieces from their repertoire. You can watch this captivating daily event on their Facebook page. And for those who missed them, there is still a chance to see the previous performances, and those of the Palace Guards’ Band, available on the Band’s website.

 

Opéra de Monte-Carlo

Fancy humming along or letting yourself be enchanted by an aria? Look no further! Keen to stay in touch with opera lovers and ensure that the public are still able to enjoy the talents of its artists, the famed Opéra de Monte-Carlo, led by its Director Jean-Louis Grinda, is making a selection of programmes available, for you to experience or relive the highlights of recent seasons.

The programme includes Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi, and Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti, serialised in the form of episodes.

 

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, led by the talented dancer and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, are also sharing some of their finest work. Available to watch on the France 3 (PACA) website and the channel Monaco Info, you can watch sumptuous  performances of ballets including LAC, La Belle, The Nutcracker, and Faust.

 

Grimaldi Forum

An environmentally responsible international cultural hub, conference centre and exhibition venue, the iconic Grimaldi Forum has also published a variety of resources on its Facebook page. They include the latest Thursday Live Sessions, various high-quality concerts for music-lovers. Normally performed live one Thursday each month at the GFM’s Indigo space, this time it’s the turn of the artists to come to you. The first online Thursday Live session on 7 May was live-streamed on Facebook by Medi, a local artist from Nice, who performed with all his distinctive feel-good vibes from the living room of his home, which he had turned into his own little stage for the evening.

If that’s not enough music for you, simply click on the content specially selected and published online for you by Alfonso Ciulla, Artistic Director at the GFM.

The Artmonte-carlo exhibition could not take place as planned, but has adapted to the circumstances by offering an alternative way for the public to explore the artworks and galleries. Dubbed “selected statements”, a special edition in the form of a catalogue of artworks is now available online. Accessible to all in pdf format, it presents a carefully chosen selection of pieces with commentary by various personalities from the art world.

 

Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

While waiting for the site itself to re-open, the museum remains very active on social media and its official website, with a range of videos, virtual tours, games and lectures. 

From your computer, tablet or smartphone, you can explore this beautiful, historic building and discover the Odyssey of the sea turtles, admire the shark lagoon, visit the 90 aquarium tanks and see the hundreds of corals in its collection.
Aimed at younger visitors, the museum has a special “kids” section of its website which includes educational and theme-based materials, plus a colouring book for smaller children.

Also on the museum’s website is a virtual tour of the photography exhibition by David Doubilet, which includes the finest images created by National Geographic’s celebrated submarine photographer.

 

The Observatory Cave and Exotic Garden

Built on the side of the cliff, the Exotic Garden offers breathtaking, unrivalled views over the Principality of Monaco, and houses a collection of extravagantly formed succulent plants, including a large number of cacti. 
Although the Garden itself is currently closed, you can still admire the beautiful flowers and plants by taking a virtual stroll on the website. Or perhaps you would prefer to explore the depths of the Observatory Cave. Follow in the footsteps of the speleologists and marvel at the caverns studded with stalactites and stalagmites, which reach down almost to sea level.

 

Monaco Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology

While it is not yet possible to take a virtual tour, the museum is still keeping in touch with visitors on the social networks, with daily lectures including a look at “Medieval and Modern Fortifications in Mediterranean Cities”, a selection of the museum’s most important pieces and collections, a quiz to test your knowledge, and a range of games and colouring activities to encourage youngsters to discover our history.

 

Nouveau Musée National de Monaco

The NMNM is sharing a little-known collection and artistic heritage while encouraging the public to discover the contemporary scene, with two general themes: “Art and Territory” at Villa Paloma, and “Art and Spectacle” at Villa Sauber.

With a permanent collection of over 10,000 pieces created between the 19th and 21st centuries, the two villas stage several exhibitions each year. Today, the NMNM invites you to visit its website to discover “Variations - Eugène Frey’s Light Set Projections”, an exhibition devoted to the little-known scenographic technique invented in the 1900s, which follows in the tradition of shadow theatre and magic lanterns, and was developed on the stage of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo until the 1930s. Every Saturday, the museum also offers a variety of workshops for you to try at home (create your own shadow theatre, try your hand at stop motion, etc.).

 

Museum of Stamps and Coins

With the museum’s virtual tour, enthusiasts or collectors of stamps or coins, can now explore the collections and discover rare stamps from Monaco’s past and the currency struck in the Principality. Wander freely around the museum and admire the collections at your own pace.  

 

Monaco 360°: just like being there

For a stunning virtual travel experience, immerse yourself in the very heart of the Principality with this highly original digital platform, that can be accessed via your computer, tablet or smartphone. The incredibly detailed virtual tour introduces you to all of the rich history and culture of Monaco, including famous museums, prestige hotels, verdant gardens and panoramic views. Simply click, zoom, and open the doors to these iconic sites. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to start planning your next trip to Monaco?

 

Monaco Library 

One of the Principality’s foremost cultural sites, Monaco Library has plenty of ideas and suggestions for activities in the form of direct content and links. Visit the Library’s official website and Facebook page, where you’ll find something to suit all tastes and ages, including games you can make at home, manual craft workshops, storytime book readings, quizzes, a directory of sites and recipes.

 

Audiovisual Institute of Monaco 

Under the “Monaco on Film” label, the Audiovisual Archives offers you the chance to discover the Principality’s audiovisual history. As a spectator, you are invited to view (or perhaps re-view) some of the “snapshots” shown as part of the “Art of the Cinema” screenings. Through short films from the Institute’s archives, take a step back into Monaco’s past and see the Principality in a fascinating new light.

 

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