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Hard-hitting Exhibitions “Prince Rainier’s inspiring speech saying that In terms of business tourism, the Monégasque
In the Prefiguration Unit, located in the you don’t need to be a big country to do great has managed to fill the Grimaldi Forum. “We got
Auditorium, Sylvie Biancheri worked in tandem things.” To prove it, thanks to Prince Albert’s a boost very quickly with some 60 congresses
with future CEO, Stéphane Martin, as well as official trip to China, the Grimaldi Forum was in the first year and the return of early faithful
with the Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, able to negotiate hosting part of the Terracotta
Jean-Christophe Maillot, on the future cultural Army of Xian “that no other European nation had “Prince Rainier’s
programme. “We wanted to create events where ever had.” In the early years, Sylvie Biancheri, who
we would be legitimate. This was the case with took the reins as Deputy CEO in 2002, undertook inspiring speech
dance, given the Monégasque history with many trips to convince the cultural world, backed
Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Maillot was on fire up by her supporter, Catherine Alestchenkoff, saying that you
and it was the perfect time to launch the Monaco and the curators of each exhibition, to obtain
Dance Forum,” says the General Manager, proud the loan of exceptional works from Picasso to don’t need to be a
that her XXL stage (1,000 m², comparable to Bacon. “Currently, it is more and more difficult big country to do
that of Paris’s Opéra Bastille) is now also used to do large exhibitions. Transport, energy and
for big choral operatic works and certain plays insurance costs have skyrocketed; the Smic great things.”
from the Princess Grace Theatre. minimum wage has increased…everything is
The objective was also to grab the public’s expensive. It would no longer be possible to put
attention with hard-hitting exhibitions. “There on Super Warhol,” regrets this rational woman, clients like Luxe Pack.” Today, the Grimaldi Forum
weren’t any very high-level, major exhibitions. retained by the organisation to optimise the has 120 events a year. Turnover did reach €22
You have to hit hard, ‘amaze without shocking,’ investment. million in 2019 but the pandemic caused it to
drop sharply. “We are at around 85% of a classic
“We wanted to create Land Extension Challenge year and next year we will go up again,” hopes
All the exhibitions created by the Grimaldi Forum
the Director, who has no problem prioritising
events where we are intended to be exported abroad. In February business tourism over culture if necessary. Sylvie
would be legitimate.” 2019, the centre signed a cultural memorandum Biancheri also manages a €7-million state grant
of understanding with Galaxy Entertainment
and can now also count on the additional square
Group. The first big event planned was the meterage provided from 2025 by the Mareterra
exhibition, Grace Kelly, From Hollywood To land extension. “Advertising started a year ago
as Prince Rainier put it. From the inauguration in Monaco, a combination of the exhibitions, The and reservations are going well,” rejoices the
2000, we set the tone with Air-Air, an innovative Grace Kelly Years, and Princes And Princesses CEO who “fought to have this expansion – we all
exhibition where inflatable works occupied Of Monaco: A European Dynasty. “The pandemic wanted more space!” and who is still fighting for
the entire space of the building. No one was did slightly clip our wings but we are counting a new hotel able to accommodate new delegates.
expecting Monaco in the world of contemporary on resuming this activity,” says Sylvie Biancheri, After 25 years at the helm of the Grimaldi Forum,
art.” who has announced a schedule of very ambitious this energetic mother intends to experience this
The memory of that 20 July 2000 is still fresh exhibitions: Turner, with the Tate in 2024; and the important new era for the establishment at the
in her mind. “It started to rain the very moment masterpieces of the Pompidou Centre, which is age of 60. “Making the extension a success is a
the building was inaugurated,” laughs Sylvie closing its doors for renovation in 2025. “This great challenge,” enthuses this decisive woman,
Biancheri, who, above all, remembers perfectly will be their first off-site exhibition.” winner of the Trofémina Business Prize in 2006.

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