Exhibition - From Toumaï to Sapiens

To evoke the Mediterranean, means summoning up the extraordinary history of the many great civilisations shaped on its shores over the centuries. But it also means facing up to its future, which is more uncertain than ever. The various pressures associated with its use, population growth, pollution and global warming are all threats to its future, global warming are all threats to its unique biodiversity and ecosystem services.This brand new immersive and interactive exhibition "Méditerranée 2050" aims to encourage visitors to the Monaco ‘s Oceanographic Museum to take a new interest in the Mediterranean and become involved in its protection, through a space-time journey to 2050.

Faced with the unknown (illness, death, tomorrow), rituals are a way of organising chaos, of "knowing what to do", of dispelling fear and confronting trials. How does one move from the profane to the sacred? What meaning is given to everyday gestures? What role do shamans, healers and priestesses play? What objects serve as mediators in these exchanges between humans and gods: fetishes, masks, cult statues? What is the diversity of these practices, and what are their common threads? What is the history of magical rituals, their foundation, their raison d'être? How can we understand the precise meaning of gestures that are repeated and passed down from generation to generation, from master to initiate, from father to son?

The Department of Cultural Affairs presents an exhibition of photographs by the 15 young award-winners of the Photo competition: "Heritage at Risk". This exhibition is on display from 9 April to 4 October 2026 on the grilles des Jardins Saint-Martin (railings in the Saint-Martin Gardens) at the Rocher.This 2026 edition of the photography competition for young people aged 11 to 25, on the theme "Heritage at Risk", in line with the 2026 European Heritage Days theme.This theme evokes the threats facing our tangible cultural heritage (e.g. artworks and moveable property, architecture, written and graphic works, constructed landscapes, gardens, archaeological sites, etc.) and intangible heritage (e.g. traditions, language, performing arts, rituals and festive events, traditional craftsmanship, gastronomy, etc.), such as climate change, natural disasters, societal change, urbanisation and mass tourism. This theme in particular enabled all participants to reflect on what cultural heritage represents and thus to consider solutions for preserving it.The competition revealed some very beautiful perspectives from young people on Monegasque heritage.The public is invited to discover this free exhibition.