INBOX: Salon des Refugiés 2016, Salon des Réfusés 1863
(c) M HKA
SALON DES RÉFUGIÉS, 2015 - 2016
SALON DES REFUSÉS, 1863
08.01.2016 – 21.02.2016
During her stay in Paris in the Summer of 2015, artist Sanne De Wolf was deeply affected by the homeless and the visible refugee crisis. Inspired by the Salon des Refusés, which opened its doors on 15 May 1863 as a counterpart to the official Salon de Paris, De Wolf created the installation Salon des Réfugiés, 2015.
The Salon des Refusés displayed those artworks that had been rejected but a jury. These works were stamped with a red ‘R’. What should have been an exhibition that would discourage further production of aberrant art, became an even larger success than the official Salon. Paris was ready to embrace a change in the arts.
Not only was the period marked by the emergence of new themes and styles, there was also an opening to portray social inequality and the issues of the working classes in the arts. Artist Honoré Daumier (mostly known for his caricatures) portrayed migrants and people who had been removed from their homes to make room for grand boulevards and new apartment buildings.
The Salon des Réfugiés, 2016 draws from this historical context. For four weeks volunteers and ladies from the Rode Kruis refugee centres at Linkeroever and Westakkers embroidered and wove textiles. The workshop became a place for conversation, stories and an exchange of customs from their homelands. The textiles they created, led by De Wolf, are incorporated in the exhibition. Household items receive a sculptural form and refer to the packed materials that were carried as luggage during their journey. In the context of Salon des Réfugiés, 2015 – 2016, the textures in the fabrics relate to cultural heritage. Perhaps the imperfect textures symbolize a questioning of the social fabric in our contemporary society.
The closeness or gaps in the textiles show us how we, as global citizens, can raise public support for a social structure that focuses on awareness and dialogue.
Follow the project blog on salondesrefugies.wordpress.com
More information about these projects is available from the M HKA-website.
With the support from District Antwerp, Rode Kruis, De Veerman
Participants:
Abdi Qadir Ali, Ilham (SO) | Abdi Nuur, Nimso (SO) | Abdullahi Ali, Fartu (SO) | Amber De Saeger (BE) | Faramand, Fatima (IRN) | Haji Ibrahim, Marjan (SO) | Hassan Tohyare, Fardawso (SO) | Hilde Withofs (BE) | Hussein Kulmiye, Nasteeho (SO) | Isis Koné (BE)| Katrijn Van de Velde (BE) | Samuel Pinillos (BE) | Salehi, Fatima (AF) | Jolien Siaens (BE) | Stamili Mayani (CO) | Yussuf Mohamed, Seynab (SO) | Yusufi, Amena (AF) | Yusufi, Nuda (AF) | Yusufi, Zahra (AF) | Zare, Majid (AF)