meet MAZE, the new salon replacing design miami/basel

MAZE Design Basel debuts during the city’s art week

After the sudden cancellation of Design Miami/Basel, a new chapter begins with MAZE Design Basel stepping in with a bold vision for collectible design. Launching on June 16th–17th, 2025, the event brings together leading international galleries in the evocative setting of the neo-gothic church Offene Kirche Elisabethen, right across from the Kunsthalle, and right on time for Basel’s peak cultural week. Participating galleries include Kreo, Salon 94, Pierre-Marie Giraud, Galerie Mitterrand, Thomas Fritsch – Atrium, Jousse Entreprise, Ketabi Bourdet, Galerie Gastou, Laffanour | Galerie Downtown, Meubles et Lumières, and Thomsen Gallery.

Mouton de Pierre by François-Xavier Lalanne | image by Studio Shapiro, courtesy of Galerie Mitterrand

neo-gothic church sets the stage

MAZE Design Basel, a newly formed salon under the growing MAZE constellation, transforms Offene Kirche Elisabethen into a sanctuary for collectible design from the 1950s to today. Set directly across from the Kunsthalle, the event aims to become a vital new ritual in the art world’s annual pilgrimage to Basel.

The venue itself plays an atmospheric role, as Offene Kirche Elisabethen’s lofty nave and stained-glass windows provide a dramatic counterpoint to the modern and postmodern works on display. Rather than the sterile fairgrounds of convention centers, the salon offers a more intimate format, aligning with the MAZE philosophy of immersive art experiences in architecturally charged settings.

Responding swiftly to the absence left by Miami/Basel’s departure, eleven leading dealers specializing in decorative and collectible design have coalesced to shape this two-day salon. With a curatorial mindset and market-savvy instinct, they present a panorama of exceptional objects across eras and disciplines.

Mexique by Charlotte Perriand | image courtesy of Jousse Entreprise

eleven galleries to shape the two-day salon

At MAZE Design Basel, Galerie Gastou leads with the historical debut of Coque, an iconic sculptural armchair by Philippe Hiquily, alongside a new variation of his Gombert console. The presentation deepens with rare 1980s works by André Dubreuil and a parchment-clad 1937 sideboard by Jacques Adnet, bridging modernist elegance and metallic baroque. Laffanour | Galerie Downtown underscores its legacy in radical 20th-century design with a museum-grade selection by Prouvé, Perriand, Le Corbusier, Zanine Caldas, and Takis—figures whose experimental visions reshaped how we inhabit space.

Across the board, galleries embrace material experimentation and sculptural language. Galerie Mitterrand revisits the dreamlike utility of François-Xavier Lalanne, with signature pieces like the Rhinocrétaire and Moutons de laine. Pierre Marie Giraud brings a refined palette of contemporary ceramics and glass, highlighted by Herzog & de Meuron’s Duo Iuga table. Thomas Fritsch—Artrium anchors the ceramic revival with postwar French works by Georges Jouve and Suzanne Ramié. Galerie Kreo continues its mission as a design laboratory with editions by Abloh, the Bouroullecs, and Marc Newson, while Galerie Meubles et Lumières traces a luminous arc through 1950s–1980s French and Italian design with icons like Gino Sarfatti and Pierre Paulin.

Jousse Entreprise showcases a sharp curatorial mix from Perriand to emerging talents. Ketabi Bourdet juxtaposes works by young artists like Inès Longevial and Audrey Guttman with landmark design pieces by Philippe Starck and Martin Szekely. Finally, Thomsen Gallery introduces a distinct voice with Japanese art ranging from antique tea ceramics and bamboo baskets to Gutai-era ink works and contemporary minimalism.

Gourd-Shaped Flower Basket by Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910-2000), Japan | image courtesy of Thomsen Gallery, New York

Bridge Présidence armchair, ca. 1950, Présidence desk, ca. 1950, and Lecture Hall bench, ca. 1956 by Jean Prouvé | image courtesy of Laffanour – Galerie Downtown

Easylight by Philippe Stark, circa 1979 | image by Studio Shapiro, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Ketabi Bourdet

All’Aperto coffee table by Pierre Charpin | image © Alexandra de Cossette, courtesy of Galerie Kreo

Duo Iuga table, designed in collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron | image courtesy of Pierre-Marie Giraud

image courtesy of Meubles et Lumières

Gombert, console, 1980, by Philippe Hiquily, Bouclier, mirror, circa 1987 and Perles, candlesticks, circa 1990, by André Dubreuil | image by Edouard Auffray, courtesy of Galerie Gastou