Dada

Nerves on the brink of world collapse. 100 years of Dada: Were these not bizarre disguises, loud happenings, provocative nonsense, in short: a lot of noise against the nothingness of a culture that had made the First World War possible? Yes. But above all, Dada is a movement of artists and life strategists who joyfully and combatively reacted to a world that had become chaotic. Martin Mittelmeier demonstrates how surprisingly relevant these responses are and how Dada continues to influence contemporary culture. In February 1916, in the midst of the war, a small group of artists, writers, and theater people founded the Cabaret Voltaire in neutral Zurich, where the unheard of soon takes place. Hugo Ball squeezes himself into an obelisk-like costume and sings nonsensical sound verses, Richard Huelsenbeck drums invented "Negro songs," and Tristan Tzara conducts a cacophony of sounds.