Dadaism: Reject the Culture Making Culture
The start of World War led to the exile to the European city of Zurich, in neutral Switzerland, for many artists of different disciplines (painting, poetry, literature, sculpture ...) fleeing the circumstances, to beatings, imposing unreasonable. The reality, which is facing the society of that time, he forced the intricate nationalism, triggered the most barbaric conflagration known until then. Thus one battle within the war could cause the death of 750,000 soldiers (battle of Lemberg). Without a doubt, something different was coming, something never seen until then.
In April 1915, when it had a year since the start of the Great War, are beginning to use the devastating toxic gases, devastating effects among the troops at the insufficient means to protect themselves. The war of trenches, the first massive use of motorized comb tie, the intervention of the submarine war, so obviously, that caused this new form of struggle that contributed to the figures for the direct victims of the conflict, when peace finally came, surpassed the 37 million deaths. The figure is in itself shocking, it was wide to something more than 9 million deaths of civilians, in what is now called collateral damage. The world was not ready to assume the moral and ethics that defeat meant that damage was inflicted on humanity itself. If the World was not able to become owner of disgraceful that heritage, the artists that were found in Swiss exile, were not less.
Around the "Cabaret Voltaire", a kind of literary club night, organized by Hugo Ball in early 1916, brought together those artists who, perhaps unable to abstract from the madness of war, trying to make a different approach, which saves them at least for the wickedness and perfidy of the acts that make up the world around them. The blame for the ills that led to barbarism, pointed to the bourgeois rationalism that dominated the structure of society. Neither the philosophy nor art responded, calmly and without it, the need to forge a plausible alternative that would allow the escape, or at least open a space that liberating to stop breathing. The union of all these men were known by the name of Dada. A group of artists who tried to escape the frustration, through a unique look and revised art. Even today, the reason that led them to be called Dada, to be Dada, are uncertain. It is said that Tristan Tzara, a good day, he opened a dictionary at random and put his finger where the fate wanted to stop the pages. And it was there, in the given word, that would mean in French horse toy, but they really can not mean anything and can have an absolute meaning. Terrific summary of the nature of the group. Other sources indicate that they were the very Hugo Ball and Richard Huelsenbeck those they found, also by chance, that word in a French-German dictionary. For Huelsenbeck, which expresses the word is "primitivism, the principle of zero, the new in our art."The words of Hans Arp, another group member, give us a rough idea of the purpose of Dadaism, "while the batteries rumbles of thunder in the distance, we pintábamos, recitábamos, versificábamos and sang with all our soul. We looked for an elementary art that would save us according to humanity of the mad folly of those times. (...) Aspirábamos to a new order that would restore the balance between heaven and hell. Slowly, this art became an object of reproach general. Is it surprising that the "bandits" could not understand? " And is that Dada was quickly cause for concern, excitement, surprise, anger ... to become, over time, in what is considered the most radical movement burst of contemporary art. Invent abstract poetry, trying to attract attention. But his art has no disciplinary constraints, we can find in paint an collages or improving the technique of photomontage, with the emergence of stronger visual and with better sensitivity than about reality. In addition, incorporate new techniques that way to spread ideas among the masses. Recall that the Dadaists were imposed as a firm intention to move away from unnatural, to transcend politics by attacking the political nationalism. And the policy itself. And everything. They were accused and criticized for taking a stance that, somehow, seemed to contradict his initial approach: if you were against the world's built, what were displaying and selling their works in this world? It is obvious that we are faced with the dilemma of all time. It seems difficult to show a message from under the bed, it seems difficult not to depend on others to stay alive. The Dadaists advocated the collapse of society and the arts, knowing that depended on both. In fact, not only were simple criticism as it emerged from its proceedings. Recall one of the most splendor of the Dada movement ... ... The year is 1919, in Germany, the Dada does not conform to disclose to the doors of the factories, a radical newspaper unpatriotic (Der Ventilator), plus exhibitions at places unusual, as in the courtyard of a brewery to be reached after passing through the wash. At the entrance, a young woman, dressed in First Communion dress, recite poems obscene. At the door, you can see a wooden sculpture of Max Ernst, who has nailed a hatchet, with a card in which it invites those who wish to shattered. The police brought to the organizers, among them the Ernst himself. They were accused of fraud on the basis of which required a payment to an art exhibition that clearly had nothing to do with art. Ernst replied: "We said with utmost clarity that this was a Dada exhibition. Dada has never claimed to have anything to do with art. If the public confuses the two, it is not our fault. "
I had said, and is not got tired of writing manifestos where they could say: "I write a manifesto and I do not want anything, but I say some things, and in principle I am against the manifests and am against the Principles "(Tristan Tzara), or" Whistles, screams, rompedme teeth, so what? Yet you say that you are about retarded. In three months, my friends and I will sell our tables for a few francs "(Francis Picabia).Dada was trying to be innovative, exciting, transgressive. To the point that Tzara dictate, on stage, able to piss in different colors, while Ball recited a poem from the abstract into a tight cylinder of cardboard bright blue, dressed in a witch hat, with blue stripes and white . The auditorium sound declaim in applause and laughter. "What we are celebrating is both a bufonada and a requiem mass ..." But the Dadaists not only sought to turn the stage into a circus, this detail was secondary. Picabia, another member of the group left says: "Whenever you are looking for and heartfelt emotions, just as you like rescue of an old laundry pair of pants that look as new when they look without much attention. The artists are dyers, do not let them fool. The works of art are not made by artists, but simply for men. " On many occasions, to Dadaism has been regarded as the Preamble of Surrealism, which, and obviously does not accord with reality. Especially since their goals, their foundation and the causes which formed as a movement, were different. Contemplating some of his works, like many of his photomontages, you can better understand that time is gone after imposing, usually far from the spirit and message that this group of men wanted to move the world. It is not difficult to recognize the essence of some of the images that are now used in advertising: the visual impact, the direct message. The difference is that advertising tries to sell products, ideas never, ever thought.
To learn more: ? Dada and Surrealism. Dawn Ades. 1974 ? Dada painters and poets. Robert Motherwell. 1951