Ilze Berzins

 

WARNING!  This is not an art story. It’s a real estate story. A war story. Adult viewing only.

SALON DES REFUSÉS

The ‘Salon des Refusés (Exhibition of Rejects)’ was held in Paris in 1863. 

In those days, all artists who wanted to make it, or who wanted to survive, had to exhibit a painting in the official Paris Salon. Many put their best foot forward, but many were rejected. Some of the rejected ones later became world famous. Like Manet and Whistler, for example.  

Then, one day, all these rejects got together. They weren’t going to take it any more. They rented a venue and hung their work. Their exhibit created quite a buzz in the staid old Paris of 1863.

But this is not a post about boring old art history.

This is a war story. A story of wallet to wallet combat in the true life real estate BIDDING WAR. It is also a story of my innovative SALON DES REFUSES, a venue  for the losers of this war.

And losers will be many. Only one buyer will win the war.

For the many losers I’m producing  a REAL EVENT — miles and eaons ahead of the same-old-same-old boring Open House gig where neighbours and phony friends traipse through a home making bitchy comments about the seller who’s bailing. “Good ridance”, they say with traces of mean-spirited envy.

This REAL EVENT (or you can be old fashioned and call it a Happening. Remember those?) like, say, Ozzfest, for example — or even like, maybe, Woodstock will be—-

Whoa! Leave Woodstock out of it. (That’s the Santa Carolina speaking again.)

O.K. Carrying on:

In the pre-sale portion of my SALON DES REFUSES/REAL EVENT, I will sell lottery tickets (much as CHEO does) and donate a % of the sale price of my home to the Royal Ottawa Hospital.

I might even be able to rope in Daniel Alfredsson (YOU KNOW WHO I AM) to be a spokesperson, along with maybe Marlene Cowpland or even Margaret Trudeau.

Move over Ozzie Osbourne. Hello BERZFEST!