Salon des Refusés is a popular Australian art exhibition showing some of the rejected submissions to the Archibald Prize, Australia's most prestigious art prize for portraiture, and also the Wynne Prize entries for landscape and figure sculpture. The inaugural exhibition took place in 1992, and a People's Choice Award has been given since 1999.

History

The Salon des Refusés exhibition was initiated in 1992 by the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney, in response to the large number of works entered into the Archibald Prize not selected for hanging in the official exhibition. Its name comes from a similar event that started in Paris in 1863, also called Salon des Refusés (French for "Salon of the Rejected"). In 2021, the David Roche Foundation in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide hosted an exhibition Salon des Refusés works, the first time the exhibition had been on display in Adelaide.

Description

Each year, after the judging for the Archibald Prize is done, selectors from the S.H. Ervin Gallery choose a selection of works that are representative of the works submitted for the Archibald Prize, but not accepted for consideration. The selected works are exhibited in the Salon des Refusés. The Salon des Refusés often is the first opportunity that many artists have of broader public attention. The criteria for selection are quality, diversity, experimentation, and wit.

People's Choice Award

The Holding Redlich People's Choice Award commenced in 1999. The award is sponsored by the Sydney-based law firm Holding Redlich. The winner is selected by votes from visitors to the Salon des Refusés. Past winners of the People's Choice Award include: