5 Standout Design Exhibitions to See Around Town During Art Basel Paris

Art Basel Paris and Design Miami have only been fixtures on the French capital’s scene since 2022 and 2023 respectively, but their enormous impact has sparked a wave of satellite events around the city. Apart from visiting Design Miami itself, in the spectacular Hotel de Maisons, at 51 rue de L’Université, design enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Patrick Seguin’s stunning space near Bastille, filled to the brim with classics by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier; or Jacques Lacoste’s elegant gallery on Avenue Matignon, where the increasingly sought-after works of Jean Royère thrive in their natural chic habitat. In the small winding streets of the Marais, there is Carpenters Workshop Gallery (54 rue de la Verrerie), where an exhibition called “Radical Making” focuses on experimental pieces by Serge Mouille and Nacho Carbonell; and Kolhkoze (72 rue des Archives), a gallery specialized in truly contemporary work, showing exceptional new stools and side tables in marble and travertine by Francesco Balzano.

Below are other destinations worth marking on your map as you plan a design-focused week in the French capital.

1. Charles Zana: In Situ

Year after year, the ebullient French designer conjures unforgettable new collections and fabulous locations in which to show them. For 2025, he is taking on a stunning 19th-century apartment at 242 rue de Rivoli—a stone’s throw from Concorde and opposite the Tuileries Gardens—so his luxe works can shine in a domestic setting. And shine they will. A new sofa called Sara is an unapologetic statement piece—a sprawling S-shaped design made in pewter that will curve through the main space. New oval-shaped bronze-framed mirrors are called Carlo, an homage to the 20th-century Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. Patinated lacquered bronze tables have been exquisitely crafted in the workshops of Pierre Bonneville. “I like to start with a classic design then treat it in a modern way,” Zana says.

2. Galerie Jag

Galerie Jag is inaugurating its new home (at 6 Avenue Victor Hugo, right by the Arc de Triomphe) with an exhibition of freshly created works by artist Valentine Rosi Mistou. Inspired by the beauty of nature, especially the sand dunes of her childhood in Cap Ferret, Rosi Mistou works with natural pigments which she applies to earthenware to create wall works that are sensational experiments in color, like fragments of landscape. “It was love at first sight when I saw her works,” says gallerist Jessica Berguig. “I wanted to help create monumental wall pieces, to expand her possibilities. I’m always amazed by her ability to imagine unexpected color combinations.” Elsewhere, expect iconic pieces including armchairs by Paulo Buffa, a pair of chairs by Nanna Ditzel, and George Martin ceramics.

3. Dimore Studio + Yves Salomon Editions

Yves Salomon, the French fashion company that made a foray into interiors and now limited-edition design, is continuing its relationship with the reliably fabulous partnership of Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci of Dimore Studio. Entitled “Un Souffle de Vent,” which translates to “A Puff of Wind,” the Milanese duo drew inspiration from French writer Georges Perec’s description of a room in his 1965 novel Les Choses (Things). In the showroom at 5 rue Castiglione (turn right just after Le Meurice), Moran and Salci will transform the words of Perec—“Everything would be brown, ochre, fawn, yellow… It would be a haven of peace, a land of happiness”—into a dreamscape of their own work for the marque. These include origami-like chairs in metal, and new pieces which will be revealed during the Parisian art and design week.

4. Downtown+

In 2023, Francois Laffanour’s celebrated Parisian gallery Downtown, known to specialize in the greats of 20th-century design including Charlotte Perriand and Serge Mouille, grew an additional part. His daughter, Luna, established Downtown+ and moved the dial to include Japanese designers like Junya Ishigami (her mother is from Japan) and take a particular interest in Italians including Gaetano Pesce. During Design Miami, the 29-year-old is presenting a selection of seating, called Trones (Thrones), in a spectacular mansion just minutes from the Design Miami location, at 11 rue Las Cases. “It’s never been used as a venue,” says Laffanour. “It’s a beautiful traditional interior, with the original wooden floors, and mouldings. It’s in good condition.” Among her star pieces is seating from Andrea Branzi from 1985, and contemporary works from the studio of Wendy Andreu, who developed a new technique of setting shoelaces in resin.

5. Irene Cattaneo at Galerie Gastou

Galerie Gastou was launched on Paris’s Left Bank in 1985, and known for its twinkling terazzo façade, a masterpiece by Ettore Sottsass that was commissioned by founder Yves Gastou. While the gallery—now also run by son Victor—has a booth at the fair, its home base will present new work by Irene Cattaneo in collaboration with Lo Studio-Nadja Romain. Cattaneo, who is based in Venice, started her career at LVMH before moving into making. For this latest collection, she was inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s 1869 poem Les Bienfaits de la Lune. Her response is a fantastical collection of objects, including lighting and seating, in bronze, glass, and onyx, all taking their delicate lines from nature.