Dadaism

Hugo Ball - The creator of Dadaism

A writer who lived in Zurich, in 1916 he started a satirical night-club, which was eventually called the Carabet Voltaire. He also a created a magazine, which wrote Hugo Ball "will bear the name 'Dada'. Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada." This was grouped with many of the first publications of Dada. His work had formed the basis of 'Surrealism' in Paris after the First World War ended.

"Karawane" - Hugo Ball (1916)

A sound poem made by the one man who founded the Carabet Voltaire and created the first Dadaist Manifesto in 1916. When this manifesto was first published, he performed this exact poem. There's not exact translation of this poem as it can be confused with random ramblings, it was a method in experimental literature. The idea for this poem was to bring the sounds of human vocalisation to the top by removing everything else. [Video of Karawane "translation"]

"Bicycle Wheel" - Marcel Duchamp (1913)

"In 1913, I had the happy idea to fasten a bicycle wheel to a kitchen stool and watch it turn,' are the words of Duchamp describing his work. This particular piece is a readymade object, one of Duchamp's firsts of the many he'd make. Readymade objects were individual objects that Duchamp would sign or reposition and would call them art. [more]

"Fountain" - Marcel Duchamp (1917)

Submitted to the Society of Independent Artists which ended up getting rejected as they didn't consider it an actual work of art. Although never accepted as actual art, it managed to raise lots of important questions about what actually makes art, true art. Now it is considered a major landmark in 20th-century art.

"L.H.O.O.Q." - Marcel Duchamp (1919)

A piece which was meant to disrespect and explain the Dadaists' rejection of artistic and cultural authority. A pencilled moustache on the famous Mona Lisa painting created by Leonardo Da Vinci. The name given to this work is a risqué pun. "Elle a chaud au cul," or "She has hot pants."

"Marcel Duchamp with His Rotary Glass Plates Machine (In Motion)" - Man Ray (1920)

A photograph Man Ray took of Marcel Duchamp, to help him with his experiment in optics. During this time, lots of Dadaists were invested with optical effects and included it in their art.

"Ingres's Violin" - Man Ray (1924)

Using Kiki de Montparnasse's body as a canvass, Man Ray painted f-holes of a particular stringed instrument creating a new print. It was meant to portray a woman's body as a musical instrument. Man Ray had added the title Le Violin d'Ingres, which is a French idiom that stands for "hobby'.

The Fig-Leaf - Francis Picabia (1922)

A painting which was painted over his earlier works that had gotten rejected by the Society of Independent Artists. Picabia wanted to bring attention to the censorship the society had and he used his right as an artist to have his paintings exhibited in the principal exhibition.

"Mechanical Head (The Spirit of our Time)" - Raoul Hausmann (1920)

A famous sculpture created by a man who was a poet, collagist and performance artist. Created with a solid wooden block,, the idea is that this piece is the opposite of Hegel's assertion that "everything is mind", and Hausmann said himself a man is empty-headed "with no more capabilities than that which chance as glued to the outside of his skull." He wanted to compose an image that would shatter Western views and conventions, that head is the set of reason.

"Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany" - Hannah Höch (1919)

A collection of Dada and "anti-dada" elements which contain pieces from cut outs of newspapers and magazines, merged together to from Höch's opinion on Germany, dadaism and the under looked role of women in both contexts. Höch was upset on how male Dadaists thought they had great ideas about gender equity and how they should go about it, however there were some problems about their theories and actions. Out of frustration she used all of her work to showcase her thoughts about these topics.

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