LES APPRENTIS COLLECTIONNEURS

Initiated in 2017 by the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, “Les apprentis collectionneurs” is an educational program supported by SOGEDA (Société pour la Gestion des Droits d’Auteur) that aims to familiarize teenagers with contemporary art, as well as with one of a museum’s missions: collecting.

For its ninth edition, the final-year students specializing in art at Albert-Ier High School, accompanied by their teacher Jean-Guy Cuomo and Benjamin Laugier, head of publics at the NMNM, have participated throughout the year in a series of meetings, discussions, visits, and workshops.

This year, 24 students traveled to ARCOmadrid, one of the most prestigious contemporary art fairs in Europe. There, they carried out research and selected one or more works created by the same artist, with an acquisition budget of €20,000.

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the students presented and argued their choices before a jury composed of H.R.H. Princess of Hanover, President of the Acquisition Committee and the Board of Directors of the NMNM; Daniela Memmo d’Amelio, major patron of the museum, member of the NMNM Acquisition Committee, and sponsor of the 2025 edition; Hélène Audiffren, visual arts advisor at the Direction régionale des Affaires culturelles Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; Francisco Tropa, artist; Jean-Philippe Vinci, director of the Éducation nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports (Monaco); Célia Bernasconi, chief curator of the NMNM; and Björn Dahlström, director of the NMNM.

The students notably presented works that reflect their thoughts on major contemporary issues, such as climate upheavals, post-colonialism, identity, and migration.

This year, three works by Peter Fend have joined the NMNM collection: Global Warming (2025) – a lightbox, Azioni Sulla Terra (2024) – a set of 18 drawings, and Oasi con linee del volo (2025) – print and pencil on paper. They were presented by Clara Oliveria Mendes and acquired from Pinksummer gallery in Genoa.

The work of Peter Fend (born in 1950 in Columbus, Ohio, USA), which merges art and science, perfectly aligns with the NMNM’s areas of research.

Indeed, the American artist, operating at the intersection of activism, art history, sculpture, architecture, and design, has been known since the late 1970s for his actions and works aimed at raising awareness and prompting concrete actions in the fight against environmental and geopolitical issues. This has often led him to rethink the motif of the geographical map, as seen in Oasi con linee di volo (2024), which depicts all the oases in the northern half of Africa where birds stop on their migration routes, or Azioni Sulla Terra (2024), which diagrams a series of territorial conquests undertaken during armed conflicts that have redefined the borders of the states involved.

A recent version of a 6.5-metre-long work imagined in 1999 in the wake of numerous events around the world warning of the reality of global warming, Global Warming (2025) is presented as a light box that echoes in sculptural form Ed Ruscha’s famous Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963) and the pictorial variations on his Standard Station. Adopting the shape and colors of Exxon Mobile’s gas station signs, this installation is intended to draw the viewer’s attention to a major contemporary problem, while directly pointing to one of its main causes.

A special mention was also awarded to Joséphine Giordano for the quality of her presentation.

Previous editions of the program have led to the acquisition of works by Andreas Angelidakis, Mark Dion, Rita Ferreira, Carsten Höller, Pierre Joseph, Katia Kameli, Anton Kannemeyer, David Medalla, Mika Rottenberg, and Xavier Theunis.

• 2025
• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017

Selection venue: ARCOmadrid

Jury members: S.A.R. la Princesse de Hanovre, Présidente du Comité des acquisitions et du Conseil d’administration du NMNM ; Daniela Memmo d’Amelio, grande mécène du musée, membre du Comité des acquisitions du NMNM et marraine de l’édition 2025 ;  Hélène Audiffren,  conseillère arts plastiques à la Direction régionale des Affaires culturelles Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur ; Francisco Tropa, artiste ; Jean-Philippe Vinci, directeur de l’Éducation nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports (Monaco) ; Célia Bernasconi, conservatrice en chef du NMNM et Björn Dahlström, directeur du NMNM.

Grant: 20,000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

 

 

Peter Fend
Global Warming, 2025
Caisson lumineux
Courtesy de l’artiste et de Pinksummer Gallery

Peter Fend
Azioni Sulla Terra (détail), 2024
Crayon sur papier
18 dessins, 20 x 30 cm chacun
Courtesy de l’artiste et de Pinksummer Gallery

Peter Fend
Oasi con linee del volo, 2025
Impression et crayon sur papier
100 x 150 cm
Courtesy de l’artiste et de Pinksummer Gallery

Selection venue: Art Paris

Jury members: Frédéric Jousset, president and founder of Art Explora and 2024 sponsor of the program; Francesco Manacorda, director of the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin; Philippe Vergne, director of the Serralves Foundation, Porto, and member of the NNMN Acquisitions Committee; Célia Bernasconi, chief curator of the NMNM and Björn Dahlström, director of the NMNM.

Grant: 20,000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

 

 

Katia Kameli
Le Cantique des oiseaux, 2022
Vidéo HD, 11min 49s
Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie 110 Véronique Rieffel
© Katia Kameli / Adagp, Paris, 2024

Katia Kameli
Le Cantique des oiseaux, Le Paon, 2022
Sculpture sonore en céramique
33 x 45 x 16 cm
Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie 110 Véronique Rieffel
Photo : La Criée centre d’art contemporain, Rennes ©Marc Domage
© Katia Kameli / Adagp, Paris, 2024

Katia Kameli
Le Cantique des oiseaux, Le Paon, 2022
Aquarelle sur papier, cadre en terre cuite
3 x l. 37 x h. 47 cm
Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie 110 Véronique Rieffel
Photo : La Criée centre d’art contemporain, Rennes ©Marc Domage
© Katia Kameli / Adagp, Paris, 2024

Selection venue: artgenève

Members of the jury : H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover, President of the Acquisitions Committee and of the Board of Directors of the NMNM; Safia El Malqui, collector and 2023 sponsor of the program; Émilie Girard, Scientific Director and Director of Collections of the MUCEM; Éric Mangion, Artistic Director of the Villa Arson, Nice; Célia Bernasconi, Chief Curator of the NMNM; and Björn Dahlström, Director of the NMNM

Grant : 20 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

David Medalla, Masks (details), 2017

Installation of 13 masks, magazine pages cut out

Variable dimensions

Courtesy Galleria Enrico Astuni, Bologna

David Medalla, Masks (details), 2017

Installation of 13 masks, magazine pages cut out

Variable dimensions

Courtesy Galleria Enrico Astuni, Bologna

David Medalla, Masks (details), 2017

Installation of 13 masks, magazine pages cut out

Variable dimensions

Courtesy Galleria Enrico Astuni, Bologna

Selection venue: Art Paris website

Members of the jury : Thierry Leviez, director of Pavillon Bosio – École Supérieure d’Arts Plastiques de la Ville de Monaco ; Lia Riva, collector and patron of the NMNM ; Hélène Vassal, curator of Heritage – assistant to the Director of Studies of the Curators’ Department, in charge of continuing education (Institut national de patrimoine) and member of the scientific committee of the NMNM ; Björn Dahlström, director of the NMNM, and Célia Bernasconi, chief curator of the NMNM.

Grant : 20 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

Anton Kannemeyer
Compelling Backstory, 2020
Acrylic paint on canvas
200cm x 143 cm
Courtesy de l’artiste et de Huberty & Breyne Gallery

Selection venue: digital platform of ARCOmadrid

Members du jury : Françoise Gamerdinger, Director of Cultural Affairs, Sylvain Lizon, Director of Villa Arson, Nice, Delphine Reiss Pastor, Collector and member of the NMNM Cercle des mécènes , Björn Dahlström, Director of the NMNM and Célia Bernasconi, Chief Curator of the NMNM.

Grant: 20 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

Rita Ferreira
Mal-que-mer, 2020
Installation (9 huiles sur papier, câbles en acier, pinces et structure en fer)
339 x 244 x 864 cm
Courtesy de l’artiste et de la Galerie 3+1 Arte Contemporânea, Lisbonne
Photo : Bruno Lopes

Selection venue :  artmonte-carlo online catalogue

Members of the jury : Marie-Claude Beaud, Director of the NMNM, Fabienne Grasser-Fulchéri, Director of Espace de l’Art Concret in Mouans-Sartoux and Björn Dahlström, art historian and museum director.

Grant: 10 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

Mark Dion
MMXII Camphor Cinnamomum Camphora Cape Town, 2012
Collection-rarities and Natural curiosities
Bois, marqueterie, écorce, texte et plastique sur papier et feuille
18 x 5 x 15 cm
Pièce unique
Collection NMNM, n° 2020.8.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet « Les apprentis collectionneurs » avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Selection venue : artmonte-carlo

Members of the jury : Marie-Claude Beaud,  Director of the NMNM, Isabelle Bonnal, Director of the Éducation Nationale de la Jeunesse et des Sports – represented by Cécile Mouly, in charge of extracurricular activities at DENJS -, Françoise Gamerdinger, Adjunct Director of Cultural Affairs and General Secretary of the SOGEDA , Daniel Soutif, art critic, and Oriol Vilanova, artist in residency at the NMNM.

Grant : 10 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

Mika Rottenberg
T11, 2007
Graphite et crayon de couleur sur papier
25,4 x 28 cm, 32 x 33,5 cm encadrée
Collection NMNM, n° 2019.15.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet « Les apprentis collectionneurs » avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Mika Rottenberg
T13, 2007
Graphite et crayon de couleur sur papier
25,4 x 28 cm, 32 x 33,5 cm encadrée
Collection NMNM, n° 2019.15.2
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet « Les apprentis collectionneurs » avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Mika Rottenberg
T14, 2007
Graphite et crayon de couleur sur papier
25,4 x 28 cm, 32 x 33,5 cm encadrée
Collection NMNM, n° 2019.15.3
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet « Les apprentis collectionneurs » avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Place of selection : artmonte-carlo

Members of the jury : Marie-Claude Beaud, Director of the NMNM, Isabelle Bonnal, director of Éducation Nationale de la Jeunesse et des Sports, Martine Frésia, ambassador of the Cercle des Mécènes and member of the NMNM Acquisition committee, Hélène Guenin, Director of the MAMAC (Nice) and Pierre Nouvion, President of the NMNM Scientific committee and member of the Board and the Acquisition committee.

Grant: 10 000 €
With the support of SOGEDA, Monaco

Andreas Angelidakis
Study for Crashpad, 2014
Impression 3D couleur
16 x 27 x 1,5 cm
Collection NMNM, n° 2018.33.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet “Les apprentis collectionneurs” avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Carsten Höller
So alone, 2012
Impression numérique sur papier
35x 40cm
Collection NMNM, n° 2018.36.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet “Les apprentis collectionneurs” avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Xavier Theunis
Sans titre (Paysage #102), 2018
Adhésif verni sur aluminium thermolaqué,
cadre aluminium
50 x 60 cm
Collection NMNM, n° 2018.38.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet “Les apprentis collectionneurs” avec le soutien de la SOGEDA

Selection venue: artmonte-carlo

Members of the jury : Marie-Claude Beaud, Director of the NMNM, Isabelle Bonnal,  Director of the Education Nationale de la Jeunesse et des Sports,  Jean-Charles Curau, Director of Cultural Affairs, Pierre Nouvion, President of the NMNM Scientific committee and member of the Board and the Acquisition committee and Noor Bin Ladin, entrepreneure.

Grant : 5000 €

Pierre Joseph
Pierre Joseph ? Pivoine, 2017
Tirage jet d’encre sur papier Epson mat 300 g.
130 x 90 cm
Collection NMNM, n° 2017.20.1
Acquisition réalisée dans le cadre du projet “Les apprentis collectionneurs”