DADAISMDADAISM

1916 - 19221916 - 1922

Art movement started in Zurich, Art movement started in Zurich, Switzerland in 1916Switzerland in 1916

It emerged It emerged in response to the atrocities in response to the atrocities and insanity of World War Iand insanity of World War I

Dadaists experimented with Dadaists experimented with newnew forms of forms of expression. It’s an ANTI ART movement.expression. It’s an ANTI ART movement.

After WWI it spread to many places, After WWI it spread to many places, included included GermanyGermany, where it rebelled , where it rebelled againstagainst the increasingly militaristic and the increasingly militaristic and nationalist policies of Hitler’s Nazi partynationalist policies of Hitler’s Nazi party..

Dada:Dada: name chosen by accident in aname chosen by accident in a

German-French dictionary, German-French dictionary, meaning meaning hobbyhorse.hobbyhorse.

This express:This express:• Childlike qualityChildlike quality• PrimitivenessPrimitiveness• Beginning Beginning at zeroat zero in terms of a new art. in terms of a new art.

Its basis is the nonsense.Its basis is the nonsense. While art has implicit message, Dada While art has implicit message, Dada

strives to have no meaning, so strives to have no meaning, so interpretation is dependant on the interpretation is dependant on the viewer.viewer.

Swiss DadaSwiss Dada

Switzerland • Neutral country during both World Wars.

• It became a refuge for many different people trying to escape the war in their homelands.

•These people began to get together within clubs and cafés of Zurich.

•In 1916 it’s founded the CABARET VOLTAIRE by Ball, Hennings, Arp, Tzara, Janco and Huelsenbeck.

Cabaret VoltaireCabaret Voltaire It was founded as a ‘Literary nightclub’.It was founded as a ‘Literary nightclub’. It is the birthplace of the Dada movement.It is the birthplace of the Dada movement.

Its artist were mainly Its artist were mainly painters and poets painters and poets who were in exile at who were in exile at that time in Zurich.that time in Zurich.

Aim. “To remind the world Aim. “To remind the world that there were people of that there were people of independent minds and independent minds and different ideals” different ideals” Hugo BallHugo Ball

Hugo Ball (1886-1927)Hugo Ball (1886-1927) German poet who German poet who

emigrated with his emigrated with his wife, Emmy Hennings, wife, Emmy Hennings, to Switzerland after to Switzerland after the outbreak of WWI. the outbreak of WWI.

All static values of All static values of culture and art culture and art appeared to be appeared to be questionable.questionable.

He composed sound He composed sound poems = verses poems = verses without wordswithout words

Emmy Hennings (1885-1948)Emmy Hennings (1885-1948)

• Hennings was a regular performer at the Cabaret Voltaire.

• She also recited her own poetry.

DancerTo you it's as if I was alreadyMarked and waiting on Death's list.It keeps me safe from many sins.How slowly life drains out of me.My steps are often steeped in gloom,My heart beats in a sickly wayAnd it gets weaker every day.A death angel stands in the middle of my room.Yet I dance till I'm out of breath.Soon lying in the grave I'll beAnd no one will snuggle up to me.Oh, give me kisses up till death.

WOOD, Jean Arp

In Arp, the abstraction is a natural consequence of his rejection to representation art

Form, Jean Arp

'The Art Critic' by Raoul Hausmann 1919-1920. This piece, made from crayon, ink stamp, photomontage and collage on a printed poster poem, perfectly sums up the Dada movement. The backing away from traditional painting techniques as a form of protest led to a lot of collage being used (although no one particular 'style' can be associated with Dada).

Also the subject matter here is poking fun at the whole art scene and protesting at the world of commerce associated with it. The man wields a sharpened pencil ready to ready to strike and wage war against this filthy rich art circus

Hannah Hoch - Cut with the Kitchen Knife Through the First Epoch of the Weimar Beer-Belly Culture, 1919. The above piece by Hannah Hoch epitomizes the Dada attitude towards war: That it was chaos. That the world has gone mad. That war itself is craziness incarnate destroying humanity.

German DadaGerman Dada

Germany Germany was in terrible state of was in terrible state of disrepair, fear and hunger.disrepair, fear and hunger.

The treaty of Versailles ensured an The treaty of Versailles ensured an unstable social, political and unstable social, political and economical situation.economical situation.

Many artists who were active in Many artists who were active in Swiss Dada returned after the war Swiss Dada returned after the war and redefined the movement.and redefined the movement.

The Berlin club was formed by: Hoch, The Berlin club was formed by: Hoch, Baader, Grosz, Herzfelde, Heartfield, Baader, Grosz, Herzfelde, Heartfield, Hausmann and Huelsenbeck.Hausmann and Huelsenbeck.

Cologne club: Hans Arp, Max Earnst, Cologne club: Hans Arp, Max Earnst, Johannes Baargeld.Johannes Baargeld.

German Dada is much more political in its German Dada is much more political in its nature than the Swiss.nature than the Swiss.

Numerous periodicals that appeared Numerous periodicals that appeared under the Dada flag, were banned and under the Dada flag, were banned and reappered under a new name.reappered under a new name.

Raul HausmannRaul Hausmann

Mechanic head

Marcel Duchamp’s Mona Lisa where a moustache is painted onto Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous original ‘Fountain’, 1917