As the years go by, our salon continues its march, untiring, despite the pitfalls and difficulties that accumulate. This is of little importance to those who, since its foundation, have assumed responsibility for it, since they have had nothing to lose or to gain by trying to guide its path. Coming from the most different horizons, they have no aesthetic doctrine to uphold, no bias to impose, but rather to create a climate of indispensable freedom and facilitate access to it for the greatest number.
To awaken life, to open the dawn, to offer everyone the possibility of asserting themselves, to allow an eternal restart from year to year by inviting new artists, is this not indeed an exhilarating task, a means of freeing the forces waiting to be unleashed, of supporting all forms of expression or commitment without discrimination, of sowing the future in all directions while leaving everyone the dignity of choice.
At a time when so many questions are being asked about the raison d'être of fairs, about their all too often useless proliferation, we wanted this fair to be profoundly renewed, to find its fundamental justification. The vast majority of the guests this year are young people who have been given every opportunity to group together, to associate and to recruit among themselves. In this way, we have responded to their request and to our own wishes.
At a time when the salons are, alas, abandoned to their sad fate, we have opted for this marvellous place of welcome which was offered to us; we thank very warmly the municipality, the devoted cultural managers and all the population of Saint-Germain-en-Laye for the generous hospitality which our salon was able to enjoy so happily.
Gaston DIEHL,
President of the Salon de Mai.