Drama360/The European Avant-Garde: Dada ***

INITIAL RESPONSE: NATHAN HUNT

1.	Goldberg, Roselee. “Dada Performance: ‘The Idea of Art and the Idea of Life’.” Performance: Live Art 1909 to the Present. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 1979. [PAGES: 34-48]

The above article highlights and focuses on specific examples of performers experiences that inevitably led to the creation and evolution of Dada performance. The article paints a clear picture explaining the philosophy of Dada performance. If I understand correctly, Dada is all about the 'true experience' expressed and communicated through illogical and absurd means. Essentially it is about expression through a means that brings the audience into participation with the performer. From the examples given through out the article the most common means to bring this about is through the application of the taboo and absurd. For example in the article public urination, insulting the queen, questioning societal norms, and screaming for more blood from the war were all examples performers used in order to rile people up.

As well the article is also very clear in how it expresses the strong connection performance has to societal circumstances. Ball is noted as saying "The importance of the theatre is always inversely proportionate to the importance of social morality and civil freedom."(1) For example the Berlin Dadists (practitioners of Dada) "demanded the introduction of progressive unemployment through comprehensive mechanization of every field of activity." (2) This was all done in the hopes of elevating individuals to the 'truth of life and experience'. Seemingly this notion hints at the concept that if one is embedded in the nature/truth of ones society (IE. A industrial worker in an industrial nation), they will not be clearly able to experience life in its true form. Dada is thus simply about bringing experience back, from what Dadists would believe to be, the deluded nature found in societies in which a societal truth/function is promoted.

References: (1) Pg 43-45 Dada Performance: ‘The Idea of Art and the Idea of Life (2) Pg 37 Dada Performance: ‘The Idea of Art and the Idea of Life

Response: Ping Yu

As it was mentioned in the article, ‘data’ means rocking horse in French. On the other hand, the pronunciation is similar to a baby’s first sound when he tries to learn to speak. Hugo Ball and his friends found that word in a German=French dictionary randomly, and they decided to use this word. They randomly pick a word which is like what they thought art should be natural, freedom and not logical. Actually, there were no other better words to represent this other than ‘data’ because baby’s sound is the most natural and expressed by feeling. It is nothingness and you can feel nothing.

Response: Peter Wang personally, I like the art style of "DADA" which is a random and anti-rule performance or activity. I watch the video of DADA which explain what DADA is. However, it is very hard to explain to DADA. Since every activity could be a DADA performance. It does not care about the principle of color, process of event, or suited clothes. But when I watch the DADA performance, It is very attractive to me since it is very random. Some ideas of DADA work come from our culture. It combine our culture with other culture together. Some indiscinpline things are performed in DADA performance. We use our image to think about the idea of performance.

Response: Zoe Wang

From my interpretation of Dada, especially works of Wedekind, is that the performances are rebellious in nature and certainly against the norms of society. Nevertheless, certain dark truths or troubles in society or even implicit facts about human beings are best revealed through the expression of Dada. A Dada performance may involve different colors of urine, suggesting the human right to be different and unique. In the initial developments of Dada, various notable artists including Ball, Tzara and Huelsenbeck favoured sporadic performances, which later settled to give care to organization; however, insanity and inexistence of prejudice are recognizable elements of Dada performance.

Response: Chao Jiang

Wars at some point are not always a bad thing because war can change people’s understanding about humanity and themselves. Every time a war ends, the economy restoration become very fast, and this is where new technologies usually developed or discovered. People are change adverse, they are not willing to accept new things and work hard if they already satisfy with their life style. However, when war happens, all their lives are influenced, and they start to see human nature, weakness of human, evil side and angel side of human mind. This is how Dadaism is a sudden understanding and relief from war time nonsense.

Response: Jiachen Wu

How come does Dada exist? Or where is the Dada come from? I strongly believed any creation of art has a tight relationship with its own century. Dada came out during the World War 1. Dada's idea reflected how people subvert their traditional social and life values during the World War 1. People found that they can no longer find the real meaning of the world. Furthermore, the world is full of chaos and randomness. Dada is anti-art, anti-war, randomness. According to Hugo ball, ‘the importance of the theatre is always inversely proportionate to the importance of social morality and civil freedom.’ Theatre was crushed by the war. ‘Theatre was has no sense any more. Who wants to act now, or even seeing acting?

Response:

Dadaism itself to me is a product of the war time(WWI). Probably just like the "literature of the wounded", Dadaism is a sudden understanding and relief from the war time nonsense. Just like Ball says in this reading:"all living art will be irrational, primitive, complex: it will speak a secret language and leave behind documents not of edification but of paradox."

Dadaism is what I would call "a vomit" of the artistic and aesthetic "eating and digesting process". It might be dimmed as abnormal and sudden, but it was absolutely necessary,inevitable, improvisatory and realistic. Just like vomit, it feels so strange, but what else can you do when you are having such a bad time? Just imagine the art development in Europe during the pre-war era, the birth of the Futurism, Cubism and the abstract expressionism, it was just like a modern renaissance. But all the sudden the war broke up, millions upon millions of young and talented men and women were forced to join the military service, all those beautiful faces, bodies and brains were blown into bloody flesh mashes and dark ashes...where did all the beauties and peace and order in the traditional teachings go? is there any meanings of any kind left anymore at all? During such a period of mess, Ball, Henning, Tzara, Marcel, Georges, Arp and Huelsenbeck gathered up in the Cabaret Voltaire, trying to seek for and rescue any truth that was left (same time make a living for Ball of course). What did they find out? There was nothing left but deride even more contemptuously, and act even more unconsciously. That was the only way to show disrespect to any traditional nonsense that had led to the war, and that was also the only way to vent all the anger and pressures out. The methods they used in their cabaret, such as wrote up a poem then tore it into pieces then randomly pick and regroup the pieces of words into a new Dada poem, or the reading of the "simultaneous poem". The improvisation and randomness of their cabaret performance indicated exactly how effective their form of art could have been at the time.

The anger that the artist felt was also shared by the public though in a less intense way. That's what drew the crowds to the performances. The chaotic, aggressive and strange world of Dada drew people in an allowed an intense expression of emotion from the audience. The performance were beset by screams, laughter, and riot all of which the artist and creators of Dada hoped for. This purging of emotions in an otherwise sad and dark world offered a release to those with thoughts on the war or griefs that could not be articulated in a normal society setting.

I would argue that Dadaism must have influenced many of the current art forms, such as many performance arts. But non of them could recreate the authentic Dada performance anymore, neither could any audience understand and enjoy the authentic Dada anymore, because tragically, Dadaism can only survive in war time mess, with the support from the desperate emotions and lonely souls. But many other art forms that are influenced by Dadaism should continue to pass along the ideology and spirit of Dadaism, especially the realistic and sincere expression of human mind.

I would also agree with the comment made a few paragraphs prior that dadaism is a result of the World War. However it wasn't completely the 'art' that Ball had originally wanted to help create, because it was that stuff that resulted in having to shut down the Cabaret Voltaire. At that point, Ball and the others had to come up with other ideas to attract an audience. Now the 'nature of the work had changed from spontaneous performances to a more organized, didactic gallery programme' [42]. It was the influence of the audience that caused Dadaism to change, or perhaps start. One particular addition was the 'new concentration of dance' which Ball had previously written that is was 'an art of the closet' [42]. This is quite interesting because the creators had to cater to their target audience (which is true for most entertainers), however due to the effects of war, the 'catering' was more prevalent, and it appears like all the stops were desperately being pulled out (like the closet art form of dance) in hopes for a bigger audience.

Response: Yibin Wang

Before reading this article, I did not know Dada performance. The pictures in this article are kind of wired, but this is exactly what artists want to tell people. Dadaism generated during World War I, and Dadaists hoped to express their discontent about the war and bourgeoisie by challenging the traditional aesthetics. However, I do not think Dadaism could do anything at that time even though it was a creative and distinctive art performance. Because people feared the war and even had no food and could not save their lives. They were not in any mood for appreciating art and realizing the essence. Therefore, if Dadaists really wanted to lead people, they should do some real things such as striking or parading, not only drew some pictures at home.

Response: Xiaochao Ma

Dada performers express themselves through illogic and absurd means, for some people who found dada is nonsense and negative expression. But on the other hand, I found it is “true expression” from human nature. In a society today, people have been restricted by many rules; these rules have successfully modeled a typical community however rules destroyed us as a human being. Be precisely they rebuilt our human nature to adapt this typical community. Dada is not just a word for illogic or absurd as it appears but in a deep meaning dada stands for freedom, the freedom which every human being tends to have. Most young people sort ways to express their angers and distress, they have been considered as dada performers. They are not accepting by the society and the public. Are they wrong to breaking rules? I think there are just too much misery and unsolved questions for them from our society.

Response: Sijin Chen

This article, which is called Dada Performance: ‘The idea of art and the idea of life', focuses on the founding members about Dada performance, the creation and development of Dada performance. However, I am interested in “Cabaret Voltaire” which is mentioned by this article. Cabaret Voltaire was the name of a nightclub in Zurich, Switzerland. It was found by Emmy Hennings and her husband Hugo Ball on February, 1916 as a cabaret for artistic and political purposes. Other founding members, like Marcle Janco, Tristan Tzara, Jean Arp, and Richard Huelsenbeck also had a great effect on Dada performance. There is a picture on page 38, we can see Hugo Ball was playing piano, Tistan Tzara was writing, and Jean Arp, Richard Huelsenbeck, Marcel Janco were doing their own performance. Gradually, these activities at Cabaret Voltaire spawned the Dada performance.

INITIAL RESPONSE: FARRAH SHAIKH

[ALL VIDEOS BELOW ARE PART OF A LARGE DOCUMENTARY CALLED "Random Acts of Beauty: The Story of Dada" CREATED BY USER RONBY AT THIS SITE]: http://community.ovationtv.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=2707214&as=16878&b=

1.	The _Fountain_ & the case of Mr. R. Mutt (3:33) 2.	Art & the readymade (3:14) 3.	Duchamp & the Hatrack (1:43) 4.	Dada- The origin of the word (1:48) 5.	The Cabaret Voltaire opens (5:46) 6.	DADA- Chance & Randomness (4:07) 7.	Gadji Beri bimba (3:51) 8.	Dada in Paris, 1920- pt1 (6:10) 9.	Dada in Paris, 1920- pt 2 (4:47) 10.	Dada, Art & Politics 11.	disaster at the soiree du coeur a barbe (1:54)

After understanding the creation and idea of Dada the videos provide further examples of work created, boundaries redefined and the reaction received. The capability to rethink standards became the heart of Marcel Duchamp's work in 1914, a noted Dada artist. Taking an object without an aesthetic appeal and presenting it as a piece without its regular function and also taking away the need for the artists hand created the ready-made. There is the element of composition present but an object was transformed into a work of art by a simple choice by the artist. Duchamp’s displaying of the urinal upside-down eliminated the conventional aesthetics of the urinal is a perfect example of the spirit of Dada and the abolishing of traditional notions and logic of art. The thought of chance was predominant in Dada as an act of defiance against an established system.

The appeal of the word "Dada" was the lack of connection between its meaning in various languages. With this Dada took on a variety of forms depending on location. For instance, due to its political situation, Dada in Berlin was antibourgeois and the work had a strong political affiliation. In addition much of Dada in Berlin placed an emphasis on machines, an exponentially growing focus of a country attempting to regain its identity and control.

The collaboration of artists, from writers to painters to poets and dancers, showcases the important element of Dada: collage. By taking items out of context and juxtaposing the elements in a way gives rise to a unfamiliar thought, image, and emotion. An example of this is displayed in the instructions by Tristan Tzara of how "To Make a Dadaist Poem". [1]

Dada grew throughout the early 1900's with followings throughout Europe and New York. Performances were accompanied by revolts, anger and forceful reactions by its audience which is the essence of its purpose: to provoke doubt, irony, and negation of the values of society through the anti-artistic.

In the 1920's Dadaism slowly began to emerge within Paris. At this time Paris was not under the same political assault Germany, and the art and literature took on a conservative feel celebrating national issues and the culture of France. Dadaists opposed the French art and began creating performances that would cause riots among the Parisians. The press of France at this time began drawing much attention to Dadaism by proclaiming that the movement was a plot hatched by Germany to undermine the French culture. With this new publicity however, the audience began seeing Dada as a means of entertainment causing many of the artists to grow tired of their performance.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] To make a Dadaist Poem, Tzara gives the following instructions: "Take a newspaper. Take a pair of scissors. Choose an article as long as you are planning to make your poem. Cut out the article. Then cut out each of the words that make up this article and put them in a bag. Shake it gently. Then take out the scraps one after the other in the order in which they left the bag. Copy conscientiously. The poem will be like you." (Dada-Chance and Randomness)

Response: Huibing Wu

In the year 1916, Hugo Ball created 'dada manifesto', which was making a political statement about his views on the terrible state of the society and his dislike of philosophies. In the same year, Ball wrote his poem called 'Karawane', consisted of nonsensical words, which was also called 'Dadaist poem' (The footnote). The principle of dadaism was to deny and destroy everything. Dadaism reflected feelings of emptiness, depressed of youths during wold war I. Dada is a cultural movement, primarily included visual art, poetry, theatre, and graphic design, etc, etc. The movement had influenced later styles of art performances like avant-garde, refers to people or works that experimental and innovative with art and culture. Some other later styles like downtown music, pop art and punk rock were also influenced by the movement.

Response: Siliang Li

Dada was a "movement" of the avant-garde. It was about using protest, confrontation and chaos in the arts as a way to change an unjust society recovering from the horrors of World War I. In order to understand the Dada, I look into the conditions that gave it form and substance. The First World War was only an immediate cause. It was the spark that caused people like Tristan Traza and Hugo Ball to search for a radically new form of expression. But Dada was more than paintings. Drama and literature could as much be expressions of Dada as any of Traza or Ball' works. Dada sought a complete separation of art.

Response:

This article explores concepts of avant-gardism, and the ways in which these have been deployed to historicize and interpret twentieth century art. There will be most useful for those with some existing knowledge in histories and theories of modern art.The key theories, critiques and accounts associated with the subject, which will be outlined and explored, and, as theories, situated historically.In addition, there seems to be a great distance between the contemporary art scene and the avant-garde as traditionally conceived. Avant-garde art was thought of as difficult, having a limited market and only achieving success if at all after a long period of time. Much contemporary art is easy on the eye and mind, highly marketable and quickly successful. Yet in the popular imagination, it is still thought of as avant-garde. There is the cause for that persistent misperception, looking at a range of prominent art globally.However, the avant-garde can be understood as a response to the specifically modern problem of trying to communicate with a general public, rather than the particular publics of earlier times

Response: Meng Shi

The most interesting part for me from the article: ‘The idea of art and the idea of life' is that Dadaism was created during the World War I. It seems to me that there may not be any performance during this specific time because everyone only cares about their lives. However, when I read this article and saw all pictures, the Dadaists raised my admiration. In my opinion, Dadaism promotes a kind of random, illogical and avant performance, it does not follow the traditional, even disdain to do the complier. Therefore, Dadaism created the specific performance during the war time in order to make more serious about their avant-grade and freedom.

Response: Jingyi Chen

Dada is a product of that period around the world war first. It deeply affects our mordent art that we have today. Dada is a kind of cultural movement to break all the rules of art and shows chaos. Different people have different understanding of performance of Dada. And because of show of Dada without normal art rules, it was not accept by all the audience. This may be the reason of why Dada’ life was shorter than other kind arts. I think I was so hard to understand the artwork of Dada, and artist try to give lots information thought one picture.