This prickly plant native to arid regions has long been a source of fascination from both a botanical and artistic point of view. The New Museum of Monaco’s innovative new show, mounted in collaboration with the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, focuses on the various ways the cactus has inspired modern and contemporary artists, including Julio González.

The Catalan sculptor depicted a substantial series of combattive anthropomorphic cacti beginning as a show of his support and solidarity for his compatriots defending democracy during the Spanish Civil War. Four of his drawings and his sculpture “Monsieur Cactus” (1939) are displayed in Monaco alongside works by a vast panel of modern and contemporary artists, from his contemporaries like Constantin Brancusi and Ossip Zadkine, to contemporary artists like Maurizio Cattelan, David Hockney and Wolfgang Tillmans.

“Cactus” will be on view from July 6th through January 11, 2026.