The Dada non-movement was an artistic and literary movement that began in Europe when WWI was taking place. Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings invented the non-movement. Artists, intellectuals and writers, mostly French and German nationals joined to artistically and metaphorically protest the war in Zurich. However, they referred to themselves as “non-artist” that made “non-art” because they wanted no part in society’s traditions since to them everything had lost meaning due to the war (Shelley Esaak).
The non-artists landed on the name “Dada” because it did not make sense, it was basically just baby talk which fit the group’s ideals. "The movement chose the name "Dada" by inserting a slip of paper into a French dictionary and choosing the word it landed on, which happens to mean a hobbyhorse or child's toy" (Smith). They used early forms of Shock Art, they “thrust mild obscenities, scatological humor, visual puns and everyday objects [or readymades] (renamed as “art”) into the public eye” (Esaak). They only had one rule set: “Never follow any known rules” (Esaak). They developed new art techniques throughout the duration of Dada like collage, photomontage, assemblage, and readymades.
Dadaists tried to destroy traditional artistic barriers. They produced anti-art happenings between 1916 and 1918 which they performed at cabarets and clubs like Cabaret Voltaire. The public did not like Dada art and this encouraged the non-artists to continue creating their protest art. Their enthusiasm spread and so did Dada. During this non-movement, Dada non-artists created work in several cities between 1916 and 1924; among these cities, the prominent cities were Berlin, Cologne, Hannover, New York, Paris, and Zurich. “Just as mainstream artists were giving it serious consideration, in the early 1920s, Dada (true to form) dissolved itself” (Esaak).
Dadaists tried to destroy traditional artistic barriers. They produced anti-art happenings between 1916 and 1918 which they performed at cabarets and clubs like Cabaret Voltaire. The public did not like Dada art and this encouraged the non-artists to continue creating their protest art. Their enthusiasm spread and so did Dada. During this non-movement, Dada non-artists created work in several cities between 1916 and 1924; among these cities, the prominent cities were Berlin, Cologne, Hannover, New York, Paris, and Zurich. “Just as mainstream artists were giving it serious consideration, in the early 1920s, Dada (true to form) dissolved itself” (Esaak).
2 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YTjMjBF5eTMJ:www.wisegeek.com/what-was-the-dada-movement.htm+chose+the+name+%22Dada%22+by+inserting&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari; S.E. Smith
Key Characteristics of Dada art:
- “Dada began in Zurich and became an international movement. Or non-movement, as it were.
- Dada had only one rule: Never follow any known rules.
- Dada was intended to provoke an emotional reaction from the viewer (typically shock or outrage). If its art failed to offend traditionalists, Dada writing - particularly Tristan Tzara's manifestoes - proved a fine, nose-thumbing Plan B.
- Dada art is nonsensical to the point of whimsy. Almost all of the people who created it were ferociously serious, though.
- Abstraction and Expressionism were the main influences on Dada, followed by Cubism and, to a lesser extent, Futurism.
- There was no predominant medium in Dadaist art. All things from geometric tapestries to glass to plaster and wooden reliefs were fair game. It's worth noting, though, that assemblage, collage,photomontage and the use of ready made objects all gained wide acceptance due to their use in Dada art.
- For something that supposedly meant nothing, Dada certainly created a lot of offshoots. In addition to spawning numerous literary journals, Dada influenced many concurrent trends in the visual arts (especially in the case of Constructivism). The best-known movement Dada was directly responsible for is Surrealism.
- Dada self-destructed when it was in danger of becoming “acceptable”” (Esaak).
