Japan Highlights, a highlight of Le Méridien Beach Plaza’s cultural programme

Blending photography and digital artistry, the exhibition explores the compelling contrasts of a country where centuries-old traditions coexist with cutting-edge modernity. Quiet temples, contemplative landscapes, vibrant cities and contemporary aesthetics unfold in a richly immersive artistic experience.

About the artists - Franck Solimeis and Carole Micallef

A self-taught photographer born in Monaco, Franck Solimeis has cultivated a distinctive visual language inspired by his travels. From Greenland and Namibia to the Atacama Desert and Madagascar, his journeys across the globe reflect an enduring pursuit of authenticity and emotion. Yet it is in Japan that he discovered a deeply personal connection.

Through his lens, he captures the quiet stillness of temples, the precision of time-honoured gestures and the vibrant energy of sprawling metropolises. His work reveals a multifaceted Japan - at once ancient and ultra-modern, contemplative and electric. More than a travelogue, his photographs become fragments of memory: suspended moments that invite reflection on our own relationship with time, balance and harmony.

“I’m not sure whether photography led me to travel, or whether my love of travel inspired me to capture these unique moments,” he explains. “Japan has become a country close to my heart. I feel a deep sense of harmony there, both with my energy and my spirituality. It is this duality between tradition and modernity that I sought to reveal.”

In dialogue with this photographic perspective, Carole Micallef brings a complementary artistic voice, blending craftsmanship, drawing and digital creation. Driven by an enduring curiosity, she has explored various forms of expression since childhood, including pottery painting, wood engraving, macramé and mixed media. Her artistic universe has been shaped by material, gesture and transformation.

She has a particular affinity for vintage and found objects, which she reimagines and gives a second life through painting and engraving, creating singular works infused with history and meaning. In 2024, she began a new chapter by embracing digital tools and exploring the meeting point between traditional artistry and contemporary technology, while maintaining a fully handson creative process without the use of artificial intelligence.

This evolution gave rise to her collection Women of the World, celebrating identity, culture and inner feminine strength. Her work Tokyo Planet, recipient of the 2024 Audience Prize at the Monaco Artists Forum, exemplifies this fusion of artistic heritage and technological modernity. Within Japan Highlights, her creations extend the journey initiated through photography and offer a more symbolic and introspective interpretation of contemporary Japan.

Japan Highlights - The Exhibition

Through this exhibition, travel becomes a conversation between artistic perspectives and creative disciplines.

Japan Highlights forms part of a broader celebration of Japan at Le Méridien Beach Plaza, coinciding with the forthcoming opening of a new Japanese dining destination within the hotel.

A refined interplay unfolds between art and gastronomy, where the essence of Japan is revealed both visually and experientially.

The art of travel according to Le Méridien

Across the globe, Le Méridien reimagines hospitality as a gateway to cultural discovery. Guided by the belief that art enhances every journey, the brand curates a vibrant programme that connects destinations, local creative talent and curious travellers.

Each property becomes a platform for artistic expression, from temporary exhibitions and site specific installations to creative collaborations. In Monaco, this vision comes to life at the Méridien Hub, a lobby redefined as a space for dialogue and cultural exchange, hosting four exhibitions each year featuring both emerging and established artists.

Japan Highlights fully reflects this philosophy, underscoring Le Méridien Beach Plaza’s commitment to bringing hospitality and culture into meaningful conversation.

This vision extends beyond the hotel itself through the signature Unlock Art™ programme. In Monaco, guests receive complimentary access to exhibitions at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco simply by presenting their room key.

At Le Méridien, keys open far more than doors. They open worlds.

Practical information

Exhibition: Japan Highlights - Franck Solimeis and Carole Micallef

Dates: 2 March to 15 June 2026

Opening reception: Tuesday 10 March 2026 at 6pm

Venue: Le Méridien Hub - 22 Avenue Princesse Grace - 98000 Monaco