Welcome

For one week every year, Maastricht can rightfully claim the title of global city of art. We owe this great honour to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), a renowned, global event that feels extraordinarily at home in our city. The world’s largest and most famous art fair was born and raised in Maastricht. There is a blood tie between the fair and the city: the organizers can count on the commitment of local and provincial governments, and the city can count on TEFAF in terms of the calibre and image it enjoys. Besides the high-quality art, the event’s international nature is also an essential ingredient of the success. And Maastricht just happens to tick that cosmopolitan box. Located in the heart of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, we are in an area of Western Europe that brings together three nationalities, almost four million inhabitants, four internationally focused universities, two airports, two high-speed railway stations, several conference centres, and much more. In this striking Euroregion, two major cultures – Germanic and Latin –have rubbed shoulders for centuries. The people and businesses who call this part of the world home have a naturally global outlook. Even in this modern age, it is culture that unites us. Without culture, today’s Euroregional partnership would never have flourished. As a cultural highlight, TEFAF makes an essential contribution to this. That is why we look forward to meeting the many exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, every single year. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to you all.

Annemarie Penn-te Strake Mayor of Maastricht