Artist Houda Bakkali is set to unveil her new series, Monaco with Heart a bold, emotionally driven body of work that blends the virtual and the physical to create a distinctly immersive art experience.
After being previewed at exclusive private events during the holiday season, the exhibition now opens to the public, offering audiences the opportunity to engage with the artworks both in person and virtually.
Described by Bakkali as her “fetish work,” Monaco with Heart is an intensely personal project, shaped by months of focused creation and meticulous refinement. With the final touches complete, the artist is now ready to bring the exhibition to a wider audience and place Monaco at the emotional heart of her evolving artistic vision.
“I have been working on this for several months and I have finally been able to present it in the place where it was born and where it belongs,” she said. “This series reflects my passion and my connection with Monaco. Here I presented my first work in augmented reality in the first contemporary art salon after confinement in 2020. Some of my most representative works are inspired by Monaco. And here I have exhibited on many occasions at public and private events. Monaco has been part of my career, my inspiration and my personal life since I was a child, since some of my best friends and some of the best hosts of my work are here.”
MONACO WITH HEART
“Monaco with Heart” is a trilogy that pays tribute to color, feminine beauty, the joyful spirit and the dolce vita that Monaco inspires. It is a very festive and optimistic work, based on the Mediterranean Sea, flowers, polka dots, joy and a look at a hopeful future. A life designed to be lived with harmony but also with intensity, in the purest Monegasque style, with its sunny days and nights of good friends.”
‘Il dolce far niente’ by Bakkali merges with her passion for the simplest things in life, with her ironic vision of the reality that surrounds us and with a high dose of optimism as a balm for uncertain moments.
DIGITAL ART
The artist has not limited herself in how art can be presented. She embraces innovative technologies, like the use of virtual spaces, whilst respecting traditional processes and techniques.
“Digital art is no longer a trend, it is a reality that is here to stay and that finds its place more and more every day,” says Bakkali. “Public and private institutions are committed to the combination of new technologies and art. The public can experience the potential of digital tools in immersive exhibitions and artists see how new possibilities open up to create and display our works.”
ABOUT «MONACO WITH HEART»
If Monaco stands as one of the artist’s key points of connection with the public in 2024, her work will also be experienced and encountered across other international cities.
“I have been working on this for several months and I have finally been able to present it in the place where it was born and where it belongs,” she said. “This series reflects my passion and my connection with Monaco. Here I presented my first work in augmented reality in the first contemporary art salon after confinement in 2020. Some of my most representative works are inspired by Monaco. And here I have exhibited on many occasions at public and private events. Monaco has been part of my career, my inspiration and my personal life since I was a child, since some of my best friends and some of the best hosts of my work are here.”
