Monaco’s gardens are becoming a stage for monumental sculpture this summer
Artcurial is returning to the Principality with the seventh edition of Monaco Sculptures, a presentation that places large-scale works in gardens and hotel grounds before they are offered at auction. Produced in partnership with the Société de Bains de Mar, the project will culminate in a sale at the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo on July 7, 2026, during Monaco Auction Week. The outdoor exhibition will remain on view through September.
This year’s selection gives particular weight to César (1921–1998), the postwar French sculptor whose work helped redefine the possibilities of modern sculpture. He is represented by six works, including Pouce, a bronze thumb that stands nearly eleven-and-a-half feet tall. Originally commissioned by Parisian gallerist Claude Bernard in 1965 for the exhibition “La Main, de Rodin à Picasso,” the form has become one of César’s most recognizable motifs, distilling his interest in scale, the body, and perception.
The sale also places Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926–2025) at the center of attention, timed to the centenary of his birth. Best known for bronze works that set polished surfaces against fractured interiors, Pomodoro explored the tension between order and rupture. Among the highlights is Cubo I, made between 1964 and 1967, a work from one of the most decisive periods in his career. The presentation also includes Lynn Chadwick’s First Girl Sitting on Bench, along with works by Niki de Saint Phalle, Manolo Valdés, and Louis Cane.
What distinguishes Monaco Sculptures is not only the caliber of the names involved, but the setting itself. By moving these works into public space, Artcurial turns scale into an experience rather than a barrier. The sculptures are not isolated in a gallery; they are encountered against the light, architecture, and movement of Monaco itself, where viewing becomes part of the work’s meaning.
