What could beat an Expo of those iconic golden Pharaoh figures of 2018? In fact this year Grimaldi Forum found the answer with the Dalí Expo. The works from the collections of the Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation in Figueras, presented for the first time in the Principality drew accolades.
The magic number of visitors that eventually raised eyebrows and was even surpassed, reported from the unveiling of the summer’s attendance, was more than 80.000. Paired with the beautiful Chaumet tiaras and jewels to which another 20.000 visitors flocked, the season’s total for the two Expos hit the 100.000 plus mark. Proof that the team at Grimaldi understand what visitors to Monte-Carlo enjoy. And reports reveal that about 60% of visitors are francophone. It takes a subtle understanding of the local and international market and a potpourri of tastes to make these challenging decisions of what pair of Expos will make or break the season.
Would you like to be in the hot seat for choosing next year’s Expos? What would you choose to draw 100.000 paying visitors to the Grimaldi Centre? We already know the choice of the Grimaldi team for 2020. It’s going to be all about Motor Racing and Monaco and especially the historic names going back to 1897. Fangio, Chiron, Graham Hill, Senna…you can sense the excitement. Reports filtering out about what is planned include a fifty car exhibit including that of William Grover-Williams with which, in 1929, he won the first Grand Prix of Monte Carlo.
And there is an artistic dimension to the whole genre: posters, photographs and films often enhanced by capturing the element of speed on film. The historic heroes are not just those behind the wheel. Those who championed and pulled off all the engineering behind the marvels that broke records and won all those Grand Prix will be honoured too. Who better to put a shape to all the works of art in this Monaco exhibition than curator Rodolphe Rapetti, specialist in old vehicles.
Moving on past the summer of 2019 – Want a flavour of what is coming to entertain you this autumn and winter at the Grimaldi Forum while we are waiting for next summer season’s blockbusters? Here is a taste:
- September 22: The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux;
- October 12th: Jeanne Added;
- October 13: The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic takes over Disney’s “Fantasia”;
- 21st to 23rd of October: Sportel;
- October 24: the play “Le prénom”;
- November 6 to 7: MICS show with NRJ DJ Awards;
- November 10: “Encore un instant”, a play with Michèle Laroque and François Berleand;
- November 15: the violinist Uto Ughi;
- 17th to 22nd November: the opera “Lucia di Lammermoor”;
- November 20th: Michael Gregorio;
- 7th to 8th December: the Phoenix circus, with the stars of the Beijing Circus;
- 21 December-5 January: Bricklive Monaco, the ultimate Lego playground for the end of the year celebrations;
- 27th December-5th January: “Coppél-i.a” the new creation of Jean-Christophe Maillot for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo.
