The Epic: Pola Sieverding Explores the Power, Sensuality and Physicality of Boxing in Nice

 

Nice will welcome The Epic, an exhibition by Berlin-based artist Pola Sieverding, at NEO art & culture lab x VogelART from November 14 to 29, 2026, as part of the OVNi Festival.

Using slow-motion video, immersive sound and a rotating camera, Sieverding transforms a boxing match into a striking exploration of the human body, physical confrontation and the complex relationship between strength and intimacy.

Beyond the Boxing Ring

At the centre of The Epic are two boxers filmed as the camera circles them through a complete 360-degree rotation. Recorded at 200 frames per second, the footage slows their movements to eight times slower than normal, revealing details often missed in the speed and intensity of a real fight.

Muscles tighten, bodies twist and balance shifts as the fighters move around one another. What begins as a sporting confrontation gradually takes on the qualities of a moving sculpture, with the boxers shaping the space through their movements.

The work becomes particularly compelling when the fighters enter a clinch, the close physical hold in which opponents become locked together. In this moment, aggression and intimacy exist side by side. Resistance, physical contact and exhaustion blur the boundaries between confrontation and embrace.

Rather than simply documenting a fight, Sieverding invites audiences to reconsider what the body communicates through movement, contact and physical exertion.

The soundtrack deepens the experience, incorporating sounds recorded during the fight, including punches, footsteps, breathing and heartbeats. Together, image and sound create an intense sensory encounter that brings viewers closer to the physical reality of the ring.

An Artistic Exploration of the Body

Sieverding’s work spans photography, film, sound and performance, examining the body as a site of identity, power, desire and cultural projection.

Her subjects have included drag queens, wrestlers, performance artists, classical torsos and Berlin’s club scene. She has also explored architecture and organic materials, using diverse subjects to investigate how physical forms acquire meaning through social expectations and the ways they are represented.

Born in 1981, Sieverding studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the Surikov Institute in Moscow and Berlin’s Universität der Künste, graduating in 2007. Based in Berlin, she has exhibited internationally in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Seoul, London, Vienna and Frankfurt.

In 2026, she received the Lotto Brandenburg Art Prize. She has also served as artistic director of the Düsseldorf Photo+ Biennale for Visual and Sonic Media for its 2022 and 2024 editions.

Contemporary Art Comes to Nice

The exhibition takes place at NEO art & culture lab x VogelART, an independent cultural space at 6 bis rue Lascaris in Nice. Its programme brings together contemporary art, design, performance and other creative disciplines.

Presented as part of the OVNi Festival, The Epic offers a distinctive perspective on a familiar subject. By slowing down the action and changing the viewer’s perspective, Sieverding moves beyond the conventional spectacle of boxing to explore the physical intelligence, vulnerability and unexpected intimacy of the human body.

For visitors interested in contemporary video art, the exhibition offers an opportunity to experience how movement, sound and physical confrontation can be transformed into a compelling artistic statement.

Exhibition Details

The Epic — Pola Sieverding

Venue: NEO art & culture lab x VogelART, 6 bis rue Lascaris, 06300 Nice, France.

Opening reception: Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Dates: November 14–29, 2026.

Opening hours: Daily, 4 pm to 8 pm.

Admission: Free.

Further information: www.neovogelartlab.com/events/the-epic/ and www.ovni-festival.fr.

Monaco Exits the FATF Grey List

 

Monaco has achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to restore international confidence in its financial system. On October 30, 2026, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), known in French as the Groupe d’action financière (GAFI), officially removed the Principality from its grey list of jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring for deficiencies in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

The decision marks the culmination of an intensive reform program launched after Monaco was placed on the grey list in June 2024. It is a substantial diplomatic and financial achievement for Prince Albert II, the government led by Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, and the institutions responsible for overseeing the Principality’s financial sector.

However, Monaco’s removal from the list should not be mistaken for a declaration that money laundering has been eliminated, that every financial institution is beyond reproach, or that the Principality’s work is finished. Rather, it represents international recognition that Monaco has made sufficient progress in addressing previously identified weaknesses and has completed its agreed action plan.

According to Le Monde‘s October 30 report by Anne Michel, the reforms have included stronger legislation, expanded financial supervision, increased investigative capacity, and a more credible willingness to impose penalties when institutions fail to meet their obligations. The next challenge will be ensuring that these improvements become permanent features of Monaco’s financial system rather than measures introduced primarily to secure removal from international scrutiny.

How Monaco Ended Up on the Grey List

Monaco’s placement on the FATF grey list in June 2024 was a serious reputational blow for a jurisdiction whose international identity is closely associated with private banking, wealth management, luxury property and the concentration of substantial personal fortunes.

The FATF is an intergovernmental body that establishes international standards for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation. Its grey list identifies jurisdictions working under increased monitoring to address strategic deficiencies in their systems.

Grey-listing does not mean that an entire country, its financial institutions or its residents have been found guilty of criminal activity. Instead, it signals that a jurisdiction has shortcomings serious enough to warrant closer international attention and a formal program of corrective action.

For Monaco, the consequences extended well beyond appearances. According to Le Monde, the designation prompted banks and financial institutions internationally to apply enhanced scrutiny to transactions involving the Principality. Such measures can increase compliance costs, complicate business relationships and make financial operations more burdensome for legitimate clients.

For a small state whose prosperity and international standing depend heavily on its ability to attract and retain wealthy residents, investors and businesses, the consequences were particularly significant.

The grey-list designation also came against a backdrop of financial scandals that had already placed Monaco’s oversight arrangements under scrutiny. The government therefore faced two interconnected challenges: correcting deficiencies in its anti-money-laundering framework and convincing international partners that the changes were genuine, enforceable and capable of producing results.

The Reform Program: From Commitments to Enforcement

Monaco’s exit was not achieved through political assurances alone. The FATF’s October 30 announcement followed a successful on-site assessment and recognition that the Principality had addressed the strategic deficiencies identified in its action plan.

The reforms covered legislation, regulatory supervision, financial intelligence, criminal investigations and the handling of assets suspected of being connected to criminal activity.

One of the most significant developments was the strengthening of the Autorité Monégasque de Sécurité Financière (AMSF), Monaco’s financial security authority, established in 2023. Its leadership was entrusted to Bruno Dalles, a magistrate and former director of France’s financial intelligence unit, Tracfin.

Under the strengthened arrangements, the authority has expanded its staffing and operational capacity. Le Monde reported that its workforce had grown from 20 to 80 employees, a substantial increase intended to improve the detection, examination and enforcement of suspected financial misconduct.

The Principality also established a service responsible for managing assets seized or confiscated under judicial authority, modeled on France’s system for managing and recovering seized and confiscated assets.

These measures are important because an effective anti-money-laundering system requires more than laws on paper. Authorities must be able to identify suspicious transactions, investigate the individuals and entities involved, pursue cases through the courts and, where legally justified, prevent suspected criminal proceeds from remaining available to those who control them.

Monaco’s reforms sought to strengthen that entire chain of enforcement.

Financial Penalties Send a Clearer Message

One of the most consequential aspects of Monaco’s reform effort has been the imposition of substantial penalties against financial institutions.

According to Le Monde, the AMSF imposed a €6 million fine on the Monegasque subsidiary of Swiss banking group UBS in April 2026. The penalty concerned serious shortcomings in anti-money-laundering controls and customer verification during the period from 2018 to 2023.

Two other banks were subsequently sanctioned. Banque Havilland received a €1 million fine in June, while Julius Baer Wealth Management was fined €1.5 million in July.

Together, the three penalties totalled €8.5 million.

These sanctions matter because a regulatory framework cannot be considered credible simply because institutions are required to comply with its rules. Its credibility also depends on whether regulators are willing and able to impose meaningful consequences when those obligations are breached.

The penalties do not, by themselves, establish that every alleged or identified deficiency amounted to a criminal offence. Nor should they be interpreted as proof that every client or transaction associated with the banks was improper. They do, however, demonstrate that Monaco’s supervisory authorities have taken enforcement action against significant institutions operating within its financial system.

For international observers, the practical application of the rules was an essential part of demonstrating that the Principality’s reforms had moved beyond legislation and administrative promises.

Hundreds of Millions of Euros in Seized Assets

Another important element of the reform program has been the strengthening of Monaco’s ability to manage assets seized or confiscated through judicial proceedings.

Le Monde reported that the service responsible for managing these assets had €434 million in assets under management, including €167 million in real estate.

These figures illustrate the financial scale of the work being undertaken by the authorities. They also demonstrate why asset recovery is a central component of the fight against money laundering: investigations must be capable of following suspected proceeds and preserving assets where the law permits, rather than focusing exclusively on identifying suspicious transactions.

The figures must nevertheless be interpreted carefully. Assets under management are not equivalent to a final determination that every asset represents criminal proceeds, nor do they necessarily indicate how much money has ultimately been confiscated permanently. Seizure, judicial confiscation and final recovery are distinct stages of the legal process.

What matters is whether the authorities can trace assets, act lawfully and effectively, and ensure that criminal proceedings produce meaningful outcomes.

More Suspicious Transaction Reports and International Cooperation

The expansion of the AMSF has also been accompanied by an increase in suspicious transaction reporting.

According to Bruno Dalles, as reported by Le Monde, the number of suspicious transaction reports has been increasing by approximately 10% annually. The authority has also seen greater participation from non-financial professions, including the gaming sector and notaries.

Such reporting is an important source of intelligence for detecting potential financial crime. Banks and other regulated professionals may be among the first to identify transactions or customer behaviour that warrants closer examination.

An increase in reports, however, is not a direct measure of the number of money-laundering offences committed. It can also reflect improved awareness, stronger compliance procedures and more effective detection. The quality of those reports, the investigations they generate and the resulting judicial outcomes are therefore essential measures of progress.

Monaco has also strengthened cooperation with foreign financial intelligence units. That cooperation is particularly important for a jurisdiction whose financial relationships extend across borders and whose investigations may involve individuals, companies, accounts and assets in multiple countries.

Financial crime rarely respects national boundaries. Effective enforcement depends on authorities being able to exchange relevant information and coordinate their responses when the circumstances warrant it.

Brigitte Aliot’s IN FILE Brings a New Wave of Colour and Expression to Monaco’s Waterfront

 

Monaco’s contemporary art scene has a fresh splash of colour this autumn as French artist Brigitte Aliot transforms the lobby of Le Méridien Beach Plaza into an inviting space for artistic discovery. Her exhibition, IN FILE, brings together expressive abstract paintings that explore movement, emotion and the freedom to see something different in every work.

On display until 16 January 2027, the exhibition offers residents and visitors an opportunity to experience contemporary art in an unconventional setting, where creativity can be encountered as part of an ordinary visit rather than behind the doors of a traditional gallery.

An Artistic Language Built on Colour and Movement

A self-taught artist from Lyon, Aliot has spent nearly two decades developing a distinctive visual language shaped by experimentation, instinct and an evolving relationship with colour.

Her earlier work was characterized by more structured compositions and defined, architectural forms. Over time, her approach has become increasingly fluid, with softer contours, sweeping lines and more spontaneous arrangements taking center stage. 

The resulting paintings balance movement with restraint, bringing together contrasting qualities that can feel bold and delicate, energetic and contemplative at once.

Working within the tradition of Lyrical Abstraction, Aliot places particular emphasis on the expressive possibilities of painting. Her process combines instinctive gestures with techniques that give her canvases a distinctive physical presence.

These include ceramic paint, used to create textured, glossy surfaces before acrylic colour is introduced, as well as spray paint for larger works. The combination of materials and methods contributes to the visual variety of IN FILE, where colour and form become the principal means of expression.

No Single Meaning, No Wrong Interpretation

One of the most engaging aspects of Aliot’s work is her reluctance to prescribe what the viewer should see. Rather than providing a fixed story or explanation for each painting, she leaves the interpretation open.

A composition might suggest a landscape to one person, a recognisable object to another, or an entirely different association shaped by a memory, mood or emotion. The same painting can therefore provoke different responses depending on who is looking at it.

This openness is central to the exhibition’s appeal. Instead of asking visitors to decode a predetermined message, Aliot invites them to trust their own perceptions and engage with the work on a personal level.

Her paintings bring together seemingly opposing sensations, from strength and fragility to noise and silence, while balancing pop-inspired elements with a more romantic sensibility. The result is an artistic vocabulary that encourages curiosity rather than insisting on a single answer.

Contemporary Art Finds a Home Beyond the Gallery

The setting is an important part of the experience. IN FILE is presented at Le Méridien Beach Plaza’s Le Méridien Hub, the hotel’s lobby and social space, where guests can encounter the works as they arrive, meet friends or pause during their stay.

By placing contemporary art in an everyday environment, the hotel offers a different way to experience creative work. Visitors do not necessarily need to plan a dedicated gallery visit; the paintings become part of the surroundings, inviting a moment of discovery amid the rhythm of Monaco’s waterfront life.

The exhibition also provides a reason for local residents and Riviera visitors to step inside, enjoy a coffee and explore the collection, even if they are not staying overnight. Set within the Larvotto district, the hotel offers a setting where art, hospitality and the Mediterranean atmosphere naturally intersect.

Connecting Visitors with Monaco’s Wider Cultural Scene

Le Méridien Beach Plaza’s artistic program forms part of a broader effort to make culture an integral element of the hotel experience. That commitment extends beyond the building through the brand’s Unlock Art program.

In Monaco, hotel guests can obtain complimentary admission to exhibitions at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM) by presenting their room key. The initiative provides an additional connection between a hotel stay and the Principality’s cultural institutions, encouraging visitors to explore more of the local arts scene during their time in Monaco.

For a destination widely associated with luxury, major sporting events and the glamour of the Mediterranean, initiatives that bring contemporary art into accessible public-facing spaces offer another dimension to its cultural identity.

Plan a Visit to IN FILE

Brigitte Aliot’s IN FILE exhibition is on display at Le Méridien Beach Plaza, 22 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monaco, until 16 January 2027.

Whether encountered during a hotel stay or as part of a visit to Larvotto, the exhibition offers a chance to pause and experience art without the expectation of a prescribed interpretation. Its vibrant colours, flowing forms and open-ended compositions invite visitors to bring their own imagination to the encounter.

In Aliot’s world, the painting does not have to tell everyone the same story. Its meaning emerges in the eye of the beholder — making each encounter a little different from the last.

L’Alpha Bar: A New Wolf Pack Is About to Make Its Mark on Nice’s Gay Scene

 

Follow your instincts, find your pack, and discover a new place to connect.

 

Nice’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene is welcoming a new addition this Thursday, October 29, as L’Alpha Bar opens its doors in the heart of the city, inviting men to discover a new territory for socializing, flirting, and perhaps finding a little more than just conversation.

 

With a wolf as its emblem, L’Alpha Bar has a fitting identity for a venue built around instinct, attraction, and the thrill of discovering who else might be lurking in the pack. Whether you arrive looking for a friendly drink, a chance to meet new faces, or the possibility of a more intimate encounter, the invitation is clear: come as you are, trust your instincts, and see where the evening takes you.

Located at 6/8 Passage Émile Négrin, 06000 Nice, right next to L’Omega Club, this men-only cruising bar aims to offer a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where camaraderie and freedom go hand in hand. It is a place to settle in with a cocktail, strike up a conversation, exchange a knowing glance across the room, and discover whether someone catches your eye.

 

For those who enjoy the excitement of gay cruising culture, the wolf imagery adds a playful twist. After all, you never know when a casual drink might lead to an intriguing encounter—or when another member of the pack might turn out to be exactly who you were hoping to find.

 

The opening night begins at 6 pm on Thursday, October 29, with cocktails, drinks, aperitifs, and the opportunity to be among the first to explore this new addition to Nice’s gay social scene.

 

And there is no need to save the adventure for opening night. L’Alpha Bar plans to welcome visitors seven days a week, from 6 pm until 12:30 am, offering a regular meeting point for men looking to socialize, make connections, and enjoy a night out in a men-only environment.

 

As LGBTQ+ venues continue to shape the character and diversity of Nice’s nightlife, every new establishment brings another opportunity for people to find their crowd, build connections, and enjoy the freedom of being themselves.

 

So, whether you are a curious newcomer, a familiar face on the local scene, or simply a man who enjoys following a promising scent, L’Alpha Bar is ready to welcome you.

L’Alpha Bar — a new territory, a new pack, and new possibilities.

 

Opening night: Thursday, October 29, from 6 pm
Address: 6/8 Passage Émile Négrin, 06000 Nice, next to L’Omega Club
Opening hours: Seven days a week, 6 pm–12:30 am

 

Come on in. Your instincts might just lead you to the right man.