Between 1748 and 1890, the Paris Salon, an exhibition of the best academic art, was held annually. And for selected artists, this meant securing a reputation. However in 1863, the salon refused to exhibit more than half of the submitted works, a figure of over 2,000. In an effort to give the public the power of the jury, Emperor Napoleon III conceived the idea of a Salon des Refusés — an exhibition that showcases the works of the artists who were rejected — including painter Édouard Manet who now occupies a special place in the Impressionist movement and French textbooks. A few centuries later, closer home this evening, a similar exhibition will showcase not only the rejected works of 50 artists, but will also be held in a space of refusal.

Madhuvanthi Senthilkumar