“Mémoire des lieux”: Monaco Explores the Memory of a Changing Principality
On view at the Quai Antoine Ier exhibition hall until 24 January 2027, “Mémoire des lieux” brings together photography, contemporary art, audiovisual installations and monumental works to explore Monaco’s evolving landscape and the memories embedded within it.
H.S.H. Prince Albert II and H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover inaugurated Mémoire des lieux on 29 September 2026, an exhibition dedicated to the heritage and changing urban landscape of the Principality of Monaco.
The inauguration was attended by several representatives of Monaco’s institutions, including Yvette Lambin-Berti, Secretary of State; Lionel Beffre, Minister of the Interior; and Françoise Gamerdinger, Director of Cultural Affairs.
Presented by Monaco’s Department of Cultural Affairs at the Quai Antoine Ier exhibition hall, the exhibition runs until 24 January 2027 and offers a thoughtful exploration of what remains when buildings disappear, landscapes are transformed and a city continuously reinvents itself.
A Living Memory of Monaco
Curated by Célia Bernasconi, Director of the Institut du Patrimoine, Mémoire des lieux brings together works that reflect different chapters in the history of the Principality while highlighting Monaco’s commitment to preserving and transmitting its cultural heritage.
Through photography, monumental works, audiovisual installations and contemporary creations, visitors are invited to discover Monaco from a different perspective.
Rather than presenting the Principality as a static landscape, the exhibition approaches it as a city in constant transformation — one where architecture, artworks, personal stories and the experiences of its residents become fragments of a collective and continually evolving memory.
The exhibition design was created as part of the “Décors” programme by Louise Chatelain and Théophile Sargenti, students at Monaco’s Pavillon Bosio.
Mapping Monaco Beneath the Surface
For Mémoire des lieux, guest artist Gabriel-Noé Rosticher has produced a series of works specifically connected to the Principality, including a new film dedicated to Monaco.
The project offers an alternative cartography of the city, tracing its tunnels, galleries, infrastructure, transport routes and spaces undergoing transformation. In doing so, it reveals another dimension of Monaco — one shaped not only by its celebrated skyline but also by the structures, movements and hidden networks that allow the city to continually evolve.
The collective exhibition also brings together works by Albert Diato, Luis Molné, Roger Capron, Victor Vasarely, Denis Morog, Keith Haring, Gabriele Basilico, Lidwine Prolonge, Mathilde Janson and Jürgen Nefzger.
Bringing established names into dialogue with contemporary perspectives, Mémoire des lieux considers heritage not simply as something belonging to the past, but as a living connection between Monaco’s history, its present transformation and the city it is becoming.
Practical Information
Mémoire des lieux
Quai Antoine Ier Exhibition Hall, Monaco
Until 24 January 2027
Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Free admission.