Dadaism

The Dada movement emerged during World War I as a radical assault on politics, social values, and cultural conformity. Artists in Zurich, Cologne, Hanover, Paris, and New York used experimental theater, games, sound, collage, photomontage, and chance-based procedures to challenge societal structures and artistic standards. The movement considered the visual appearance of their work secondary to the ideas and critiques it expressed, making it a fundamental precursor to conceptual art.

Format: Hardback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2022
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

Emerging amidst the devastating carnage of World War I, the revolutionary Dada movement took a profound disdain for the established order as its central theme. Spanning from 1916 to the mid-1920s, artists in Zurich, Cologne, Hanover, Paris, and New York launched a radical assault on the politics, social values, and cultural conformity that they perceived as complicit in the catastrophic conflict. Dada artists, while lacking a distinct stylistic identity, shared a common desire to upend societal structures and artistic standards, replacing logic and reason with the absurd, chaotic, and unpredictable. Their artistic practice encompassed a wide range of mediums, including experimental theater, games, guttural sound-making, collage, photomontage, chance-based procedures, and the iconic "readymade," most notably Marcel Duchamp's urinal, Fountain (1917). Throughout their endeavors, the Dadaists prioritized the ideas and critiques their work expressed, viewing the visual appearance of their art as secondary. In this sense, Dada can be considered a fundamental precursor to conceptual art.

This book presents a comprehensive introduction to this urgent, subversive, and resolute 20th-century movement, exploring its profound influence on modern art. By showcasing a selection of key works from some of the most renowned proponents of Dada, including Tristan Tzara, Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Höch, Kurt Schwitters, Francis Picabia, and Man Ray, readers are invited to delve into the heart of this revolutionary movement and its enduring legacy.

Weight: 586g
Dimension: 222 x 267 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836505628