A century after its creation, Marcel Duchamp’s iconic Obligation pour la Roulette de Monte-Carlo returned to its spiritual home for a one-of-a-kind tribute inside the atrium of the Monte Carlo Casino…
Created in 1925, Duchamp’s work transformed a financial note into an art piece, used at the time to fund a casino system the artist hoped would bring him profit through chance and mathematics.
To celebrate the centenary, the original collage, held in the Prince’s Palace collection, was displayed publicly alongside a special live performance combining piano, roulette, and spoken word. The evening was attended by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II and Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover, underlining the cultural significance of this hybrid event.
The tribute was conceived by Luciano Kessa, who reinterpreted a 19th-century poem by Louis Notari on lemon pickers and linked it with Duchamp’s speculative games and critique of capitalist society. The performance embraced both the casino and the opera, two faces of the same building, blending musical score and chance-based instruction in a Duchampian spirit.
At the heart of the event was the tension between heritage and speculation, echoing Duchamp’s own questioning of value in art and money. The evening concluded with an interactive twist: guests were invited to try their own hand at the roulette wheel, connecting directly with the playful spirit of Duchamp’s original gamble.
It was a fitting homage to an artist who blurred the line between art, chance, and the game of life.
Image: Monaco Info
