Montpellier Opens MO.CO with Two Major Exhibitions

Montpellier has inaugurated MO.CO, a new contemporary art hub comprising two venues: the Panacée (opened 2013 in a former pharmaceutical plant) and the newly restored Hôtel Montcalm, an aristocratic residence from 1816. Directed by Nicolas Bourriaud, the museum has no permanent collection but will host rotating international public and private collections. Its inaugural exhibition, "Distance intime. Chefs-d’oeuvre de la collection Ishikawa," features twenty conceptual artists from Japan, including On Kawara, Shitamichi Motoyuki, Dahn Vo, and Gerhard Richter, spanning four decades. The show explores intimate, meditative works reflecting a Japanese approach to art. Concurrently, the Panacée presents "La rue. Où le monde se crée," originally conceived for MAXXI in Rome, with works by Chen Shaoxiong, Yael Bartana, Marinella Senatore, Liu Qingyuan, and Jimmie Durham, examining the street as a site of political and artistic expression. Both exhibitions run through summer 2019.