“Dadaism” was a revolutionary cultural and artistic movement of the early 20th century that originated in a coffee house called ‘Cabaret Voltaire’ in Zurich, Switzerland in 1916 after World War I. It was a kind of anti-art movement that challenged the limitations and discipline of conventional art. Dadaism aimed to explore new horizons in art and was different from mainstream and established art. Its main goal was to create works of art that went beyond imagination, tradition and habit. This movement was a kind of protest that presented a different perspective on people’s daily life and conventional ideas about art.
Origin and history of Dadaism:
Dadaism originated in a coffee house called “Cabaret Voltaire”, where various poets, painters, musicians and artists came together to create strange works of art and performances. Its main founder was “Tristan Tzara”, a Romanian poet and playwright. He published the “First Manifesto of Dadaism” in 1918. According to him, Dadaism was a kind of revolution that felt the need for new forms of artistic, literary and cultural expression in a devastated and anarchic world after the World War.
The initial philosophy and nature of Dadaism was essentially unstable and chaotic. The artists were against the conventional rules and order and their work was a kind mock and satire. Dadaism is usually seen as “Anti-Art” where the main purpose of art was to mock society, chaos and protest against old ideals.
Main characteristics of Dadaism:
The art of Dadaism had several common characteristics that distinguished it from other movements. Notable among these characteristics are:
1. Unusualness and Randomness: In Dadaism, artists expressed their imagination through randomness, abnormality and unreality. There was no specific structure or formation, rather they wanted to portray chaos and disorder through their works of art.
2. Ready-made: “Marcel Duchamp” popularized this concept. Ready-made is an artwork that displays commonly used or familiar objects such as chairs, photographs or even toilet sink as works of art. Duchamp’s “Fountain” is a famous example where a toilet sink was displayed as a work of art.
3. Social and political protest: Dadaism was a political and cultural protest. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the devastation of World War I and the anarchic conditions of society. They believed that through art it was possible to express a revolutionary perspective against the old structures and practices of society.
4. Symbolic and ironic representation: Symbolism and irony are seen in many works of Dadaism. They usually displayed a protesting view towards the culture, politics and religion of society in art.
5. Collage and Photomontage: Dadaism artists used ‘Collage’ and ‘Photomontage’ in their works where new works of art were created by combining pictures and parts from various magazines or newspapers. Through this, they expressed different views of society and new ideas of art.
Impact of Dadaism:
The impact of Dadaism was widespread on the modern art and literary world. Through Dadaism, artists and writers tried to bring diversity and creativity to their work. Many ideas and techniques of Dadaism were later adopted in movements such as “Surrealism” and “Pop Art”. The concepts of “Ready-made” and “Photomontage” of Dadaism were later developed further and played an important role in modern art and media art.
The history and influence of Dadaism laid the foundation for many aspects of modern art and culture today. It brought a new perspective and wave of thinking not only in art but also in all aspects of society, politics and culture. The irony, chaos and protest of Dadaism have been adopted as a kind of art philosophy that still influences many modern artists and viewers today.
Conclusion:
Dadaism was a revolutionary art movement that challenged the norms and conventions of conventional art. It was not just an art movement, but it was a kind of cultural and political resistance that was a response to the world wars and anarchist situations in the early 20th century. Through Dadaism, artists pioneered a new type of art that later influenced many branches of modern art. Dadaism’s contribution to today’s art world will remain forever because it not only changed the course of art but also created opportunities to reanalyze the concept of society and culture.
