In the club of the excluded

It may sound absurd today, but the Paris Salon was once the Documenta of the 19th century: the world's largest and most important exhibition of contemporary art. Although it had a strong national connotation, many international artists exhibited here, hoping that the event would maximize their reputation. But the reputation of this exhibition with thousands of closely hung pictures is largely negative. And the reason for this is a four-week private exhibition, which, according to myth, was the beginning of all avant-gardes.