French Design Art Edition at Art Paris

From April 9 to 12, 2026, the Art Paris fair celebrates the vitality of French design through its French Design Art Edition sector, set beneath the nave of the Grand Palais. Conceived and curated by the lefrenchdesign.org association, under the direction of Jean-Paul Bath and Sandy Saad, this space more than ever affirms the porosity between design and contemporary art.

Here, pieces go beyond mere functionality: they are embedded in a narrative, a material culture, and a distinctly French imagination, where gesture, material, and history engage in dialogue with contemporary demands. Acclaimed from its very first edition, this platform dedicated to limited-edition or unique pieces brings together galleries, studios, and publishing houses within a scenography conceived as a landscape of experiences. In contrast to a globalized, often standardized design, Le FRENCH DESIGN asserts a situated approach, rooted in craftsmanship, memory, and a sensitive relationship to materials.

A DOMESTIC VOCABULARY OF ARCHITECTURE
In the French tradition of the ensemblier, furniture is conceived as an extension of interior architecture. This holistic approach notably shapes the vision of Things From, which imagines a manifesto-like interior where wood, leather, marble, and bronze form a coherent language. The SUITE 1835 project, developed for Le Meurice, extends this vision into sculptural, compact, almost architectural pieces. This same spatial awareness runs through the work of Reda Amalou, Emma Donnersberg, and Hom Le Xuan, where furniture organizes circulation, captures light, and situates the object within an expanded vision of living.

MATERIAL AS LANGUAGE
At the heart of French design, material is never merely a support—it is the starting point. This is evident in the work of Pierre Bonnefille, whose pieces emerge from experimental explorations of pigments, metallic powders, and mineral textures. In his practice, form quite literally grows out of matter, in clear continuity with his pictorial work. This primacy of material is also found in the work of Nicolas Aubagnac, Maison Berthès, and Maison Philippe Hurel, where precision of line engages with demanding materials in a constant search for balance between formal rigor and sensuality.

FUNCTIONAL ART PIECES AND SINGULAR EXPRESSIONS
The sector also asserts a strong trend: design at the threshold of sculpture. Franck Genser embodies this hybridization with works in which function almost recedes behind their sculptural presence. His CASCADE lighting pieces and BRUTALISTE table evoke a mineral and poetic imaginary, where light reveals the depth of materials. In the same vein, Galerie Zèbres and Seraphyn Design explore free, sometimes radical forms that push the traditional boundaries between use and contemplation.

DIALOGUES BETWEEN DISCIPLINES
Le FRENCH DESIGN champions a fertile cross-disciplinary approach spanning architecture, design, craftsmanship, and the visual arts. This porosity finds full expression in Bruno Moinard Éditions, whose scenography creates a cohesive ensemble where furniture, light, and drawing converse within a single language, attentive to both material and space. Each object appears conceived as part of a larger whole, contributing to a global vocabulary where architectural rigor meets decorative culture. In its wake, Diane Ghandour, India Mahdavi Éditions, Coedition, and Mercœur Édition extend this dialogue between disciplines, each through practices that intertwine cultures, craftsmanship, and a conception of the object as part of a greater whole.

MEMORY, TRANSMISSION, AND REINTERPRETATION
Finally, French design stands out for its active relationship with history. Far from any sense of nostalgia, it involves a constant reinterpretation of forms and gestures. Studio Andrée Putman embodies this dynamic by reissuing iconic pieces in renewed versions, extending modernist heritage into a contemporary vocabulary. Meanwhile, Rinck develops a vision of timeless luxury, nourished by classical references and exceptional craftsmanship, where marquetry, bronze, and gilding engage in a distinctly contemporary expression.

FD100: CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL REACH OF FRENCH DESIGN
As the highlight of the sector, the FD100 – French Design Art Edition awards ceremony, held on April 9, 2026, honors the figures contributing to the international influence of French design. More than a simple prize list, it outlines a living map of a scene in full transformation, balancing heritage and innovation.

Within the setting of the Grand Palais, Le FRENCH DESIGN thus reaffirms its singular identity: a design rooted in material and narrative, where each piece carries within it memory, craftsmanship, and vision.

French Design Art Edition — Contemporary Design and Decorative Arts Sector
Art Paris
April 9–12, 2026
Grand Palais

Le FRENCH DESIGN - Learn more

photos : Tables Duo Ondes © Diana Ghandour Studio • Luminator © Studio Andrée Putman • Console Le Pilier © Diana Ghandour Studio • Paraty © Bruno Moinard Editions • Fauteuil Scarf, 2025 © Atelier Franck Genser • Simon Buret, La Nuit © Rinck