Experience TEFAF Maastricht 2025: Marvel at the Rare and Exclusive Offerings in Art, Design, and Antiquities
The 38th edition of The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) took place from March 15-20 in the Netherlands, attracting around 75,000 high-net-worth collectors, museum curators, directors, and art professionals. This prestigious European art fair, held annually in Maastricht, showcased a captivating blend of museum-quality Old Masters, antiques, modern and contemporary art, and fine jewelry, all presented in an atmosphere of timeless elegance without trendy distractions.
TEFAF Maastricht emphasised timeless settings and familiar faces, shying away from fleeting popular trends or social media gimmicks. The fair's curation and gallery presentations deliberately avoided overly commercial or superficial strategies, instead fostering long-term collector relationships grounded in appreciation of artistry and cultural value.
Galleries showcased a mix of genres, such as art nouveau glass and tribal art, creating an engaging, high-quality experience tailored to discerning collectors who appreciate authenticity and depth over hype. Francis Sultana's gallery, for instance, presented contemporary works and the furniture of Valentin Loellmann, while Lucas Ratton's gallery featured jewel-coloured art nouveau glass and tribal art.
One of the highlights at TEFAF Maastricht was the contemporary ceramicists showcased by Pierre Marie Giraud gallery, including Takayuki Sakiyama. The gallery also featured Jos Devriendt's crackled glaze glass mushroom lamps and Herzog & de Meuron's furniture.
In the realm of fine art, Alberto Giacometti, Gerhard Richter, Tracey Emin, Titian, Ai Weiwei, Hokusai, and Jan Davidsz. de Heem were among the many artists whose works graced the fair. Richard Saltoun's solo display of surrealist paintings and drawings by the Palestinian-born Lebanese artist Juliana Seraphim was particularly popular.
TEFAF Maastricht 2025 also featured a blend of antiquity and contemporary art. An Egyptian carnelian falcon pendant jewellery, available at Kallos Gallery for €2,000, sat alongside a black glazed Greek amphora, priced at €7,000 at Charles Ede.
High-profile individuals such as Raf Simons and Viktor & Rolf's Rolf Snoeren attended the event. The most expensive artwork this year at TEFAF Maastricht is a 1965 Picasso painting, Les Dormeurs, with an asking price of $50 million. Stuart Lochhead Sculpture sold a baroque sculpture by Alessandro Algardi for approximately €2 million.
Dominique Savelkoul, the new managing director of TEFAF, is launching initiatives to attract a new generation of collectors. One such initiative is an interactive map spotlighting work under €20,000. Shota Suzuki's floral works, including a Camellia in copper, silver, and gold powder, were displayed with asking prices up to €9,500. Five of Suzuki's wall sculptures were sold on the first day of TEFAF Maastricht.
Key sponsors for this edition included AXA, JP Morgan, Ruinart, and Alaïa. TEFAF Maastricht 2025 was a testament to the enduring value of artistry and cultural significance, offering collectors and art enthusiasts alike an unparalleled experience of timeless elegance and artistic mastery.
Home-and-garden pieces, such as Jos Devriendt's crackled glaze glass mushroom lamps and Herzog & de Meuron's furniture, were displayed at TEFAF Maastricht, adding a touch of residential ambience to the art fair's timeless atmosphere. The lifestyle of discerning collectors was further reflected in the engagement with contemporary ceramicists like Takayuki Sakiyama, showcased by Pierre Marie Giraud gallery.
