Marking the significance of design as a permanent feature of the French cultural landscape, this new venue, the only one of its kind, is dedicated to showcasing public design collections, brought together and juxtaposed through annual exhibitions curated by guest curators. Set in the heart of the Cité du design in Saint-Étienne, it holds a national and collaborative ambition, heralding a new age: an era in which design is fully recognised for its cultural value, affirmed in its role in relation to society, and shared in all its diverse forms with every kind of audience.
Studio Formafantasma, Vase Botanica 12, 2011, FNAC 2015-0066 (1 to 3), Centre National des Arts Plastiques collection, © Studio Formafantasma/CNAP, Photo credit: Yves Chenot
A national venue dedicated to design
Design is everywhere, featuring in all our daily lives and a major part of French cultural heritage. French public design collections today constitute an exceptionally rich body of work, reflecting the diversity of practices, aesthetics, and functions over time. The Galerie Nationale du Design aims to provide France with a flagship venue showcasing the richness of these collections, which has been held in a number of different public institutions across the country.
Showcasing design today cannot be reduced to a simple display of objects. Spanning 1,000 square meters, the Galerie Nationale du Design combines exhibition spaces with areas for educational services, experimentation and event programming. It adopts a pluralistic approach, attentive to the diversity of practices and narratives. It champions a form of design that explains itself, tells its story, engages in debate, is shared and practised, through varied and complementary modes of display.
Pedro Friedeberg, Chair, 1961, FNAC 1954 Centre National des Arts Plastiques collection, © all rights reserved/CNAP Photo credit: Béatrice Hatala / Les Arts Décoratifs
A cultural project built on strong institutional cooperation
Jointly run by the public institution for cultural cooperation EPCC Cité du design–Ésad Saint-Étienne (Higher School of Art and Design) and the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole (MAMC+), the Galerie Nationale du Design offers a unique model: a venue without a permanent collection, based on the circulation of works from French heritage institutions, including the Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), the Centre Pompidou – Musée National d’Art Moderne, the MAMC+, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design de Bordeaux (MADD), the Frac Grand Large – Hauts-de-France, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, the Manufactures Nationales – Sèvres & Mobilier National, as well as many other associated institutions throughout its exhibition programme.
Ron Arad, Anonymous Stool, 1994, Donated by Zeus in 2009, Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée National d’Art Moderne-Centre de Création Industrielle © Ron Arad & Associates Ltd © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn
“The creation of the Galerie Nationale du Design represents a milestone in the recognition and promotion of public design collections in France. Conceived as a living space, the Galerie Nationale du Design also embodies a forward-looking vision of the 21st century museum: an open space designed not only for looking at objects, but for discussion, handling and learning. A place where design is as much about experience as observation, and where the public are invited to consider the effect of this often unseen discipline, in shaping our practical actions, our lifestyles and our way of creating society in the contemporary world.” – Aurélie Voltz Director of the Galerie Nationale du Design and the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole (MAMC+)
“With the help of ambitious event planning and facilitation initiatives designed for everyone, the Galerie Nationale du Design has something for everyone, whether you’re a curious visitor or a connoisseur, a professional or an enthusiast. It is an accessible and inclusive landmark, exploring design, its close links with art and industry, and its fundamental role in understanding and addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges of our time.” – Éric Jourdan Director General of the EPCC Cité du design–École Supérieure d’Art et Design de Saint-Étienne (Ésad Saint-Étienne)
Studio Formafantasma, Vase Botanica 12, 2011, FNAC 2015-0066 (1 to 3), Centre National des Arts Plastiques collection, © Studio Formafantasma/CNAP Photo credit: Yves Chenot
An inaugural exhibition setting the tone
The inaugural exhibition Design en main. Du langage à l’objet (Design in Hand. From Language to Object) is designed by Laurence Mauderli, a design historian and teacher at the Ésad Saint-Étienne. It offers an in-depth journey through design based on production methods, techniques and processes. By highlighting the relationship between language, the hand, the tool and the object, it explores how design takes form through action, between conception and production, between intention and use. This approach echoes the history of Saint-Étienne, a region shaped by industry and expertise, whilst positioning it within a broader, international and contemporary perspective on design.
Nearly 400 objects, drawn from about ten museums as well as some designer collections, bear witness to flows and influences that transcend geographical and disciplinary boundaries. The exhibition therefore weaves a continuous link between a local history of design and the major international narratives.
Open to the public: starting June 11, 2026
Press tour & opening ceremony: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Inaugural exhibition: Design en main. Du langage à l’objet (Design in Hand. From Language to Object) – through March 7, 2027
