From 8 July to 31 August 2025, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco and the Centre Pompidou will be presenting ‘Couleurs!’, an exhibition devoted to a modern history of colour through the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century.
Curated by Didier Ottinger, Deputy Director of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, the exhibition will feature over a hundred works, including paintings by some thirty major artists, from Sonia Delaunay to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Henri Matisse, Vassily Kandinsky and others.
A truly sensory and visual journey invites visitors to rethink the perception of colour in modern art. At the heart of the exhibition, seven monochromatic spaces will be enhanced by the sound creations of composer Roque Rivas, produced in collaboration with Ircam, and the olfactory ambiences developed by “nose” Alexis Dadier in collaboration with the House of Fragonard. These unique installations will allow visitors to experience colour not only visually, but also through other senses: hearing and smell.
As an extension of the exhibition, iconic design pieces by Ron Arad, Jean Prouvé, Ettore Sottsass and Philippe Starck will be incorporated into installations specially designed by Marion Mailaender, linking works of art and design objects. By recreating the ambience of interiors, the French architect and designer will show art in a different light, by immersing it in everyday life.
The exhibition’s scenography is the work of William Chatelain, head of studies and space design at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco.
