Rejects Exhibition
29–31 August 2019
The Salon des Refusés was a famed exhibition of works rejected by the authorising Paris Salon in 1863. Inspired by a recent rejection, The Substation commemorated Singapore Night Festival 2019 with a celebration of rejection. An open call was held and a total of 70 applications were received!
Starting with our 大老板 (dàlǎobǎn—big boss in Mandarin), Alan Oei, three-time reject of UOB’s Painting of the Year, who will contribute one work to Rejects, we humbly (and saltily) invite other sufferers to commiserate with us. In the spirit of the Salon, all artworks are to be put up for sale, with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist.
Admittedly, we have a slight bias towards paintings and objects, because we’re visual people and would like to put up a nice-looking show. But all rejected proposals will be printed and displayed somehow nonetheless! Ideally (and in the spirit of the project), we’d obviously like to include everyone who responds to our open call (howl). But depending on the response, we may not be able to accommodate all physical works in our gallery. In the event of overwhelming response, logistical decisions may be made in favour of works that are easier to transport or install. However, all submitted rejection forms will be displayed as documentation at the very least.
COMMISERATE WITH US
If you’ve ever submitted a painting for a prize or show and been rejected, WE WANT YOU! If you’ve ever submitted a proposal to an organisation (The Substation included) and been rejected, We want YOU!*
Open Call:
Submission deadline: 5 August 2019 [12.00PM SGT] EVERYONE will be accepted (in some form) and notified by 8 August 2019.
Email questions and submissions to rejected@substation.org.
Exhibition:
29–31 Aug 2019
Thursday: 6pm–9pm (Opening Reception)
Saturday & Sunday (Night Fest): 12pm–11pm
About the Exhibition
Rejection is a universal facet of human life. To be born into this world is to be glazed with the placental smear of unrequited desire. If you’ve ever cried out from the deprival of a milk bottle or mother’s teat, you have been PINPRICKED by rejection. If you’ve ever had so-called “friends” mock or scorn you at school, you have felt the cruel stinger of BUTTHURT. And if you’ve ever ridden the MELANCHOLIC waves of a love lost, you’ll have understood the essence of what it is to be human.
The art world is but a microcosm of this.
Every year (or grant application cycle), artists—some hopeful, perhaps DELUSIONAL—submit their artworks and proposals to the scrutiny of assessment matrices, judging panels, and key objectives. Some prevail to be selected, but alas, a large majority falls to the longkang of rejection.
REJECTS is The Substation’s official platform for the DEVASTATED. All applicants to our open call were accepted, and all forms of rejection—institutional, perceived, or simply imagined—are celebrated.
The prices of the artworks are decided by the artists themselves, and 100% of the proceeds will go to them. Take home a bitter slice of rejection, or commiserate with us by leaving behind your own sob stories on our community wall outside.
