Art without borders

With more than 100 years of history, the prestigious traveling exhibition Salon d’Automne makes its way to Jaffa.

By LAUREN IZSO
‘Marwari Stallion #3’ (photo credit: TOM CAMBERS)
‘Marwari Stallion #3’
(photo credit: TOM CAMBERS)
The art exhibition that gave Picasso and Louis Vuitton a gentle push into the world of professional art will make its Israeli debut in Jaffa this week.
“Artists from around the world will come together with Israeli artists, each from different backgrounds and cultures,” says exhibition president Noel Coret.
Salon d’Automne, the French art event that has been helping artists break into the international art scene since 1903, will unite artists of all mediums from all over the world right here in Israel.
“We want to give Israeli artists the opportunity to be exposed on a larger scale, and we also want to bring beautiful art to Israel,” says Audrey Harroch, curator of the event.
There will be some 1,000 pieces and 400 artists, with mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, architecture, music, film and dance.
“Here there is no compulsion in taste. Diversity spreads naturally across the artistic spectrum, in all forms and all manifestations,” says Coret.
The show won’t be an exclusively silent event. Salon d’Automne is about showing many different kinds of art, so there will be musical performances or film screenings two to three times per day.
“We support all types and genres.
This show is not just about beauty in aestheticism. It’s about avantgardism and originality,” says Harroch.
Coret explains the excitement of finally bringing the event to Israel, which he refers to as “art without borders.” In the past, the exhibit has traveled through many geographical borders as well, including Brazil, Japan, China and Spain, and the event has more than a century of rich history.
When the annual event began more than 100 years ago, the idea was to give young students a chance to exhibit their art to help them emerge from their studies directly into professional art.
With years of evolution, the festival now gives an opportunity to artists of all ages. In order to have their work displayed in the show, the artists must go through a panel of art experts, which is headed by Coret.
Harroch had been the curator of the Salon d’Automne in France, and since making aliya two years ago it has been her dream to bring the prestigious exhibition to Israel.
The price of the artwork spans a wide range. The most expensive piece is by French painter Robert Combas, priced at 80,000 euros, or almost NIS 400,000.
“Price doesn’t say much about the beauty of a piece,” Harroch insists.
“Art is the word. Everyone has his own style and his own taste. Every piece is beautiful in its own way.”
Israeli artists whose work is displayed in the exhibition will automatically be invited to show their work in October 2013’s Salon d’Automne on the Champs-Elysées in Paris and Les Hivernales International exhibition held on December 10, 2012, in Paris.
Harroch hopes this exhibition will be the first of many and attract art tourism to Jaffa and Tel Aviv. Her goal is that Salon d’Automne will be the beginning of a new and more diverse art culture in the Holy Land.
The reason for all the excitement, Harroch explains, is that there will be 400 artists at Salon d’Automne from all over the world, each with a completely different artistic style and background, who will all be here to share their love for art.
Be it artistic or geographical, the Salon d’Automne exhibition truly has no borders.
The Salon d’Automne art exhibition takes place October 31 – November 4 at Hangar 1 in the Jaffa Port. Entrance is free.