University of Iowa's Digital Dada Library Preserves Original Anti-Art Movement Publications Online
The International Dada Archive at the University of Iowa has made a significant advancement by digitizing a selection of original Dada publications, which can now be accessed through its Digital Dada Library. The initial segment comprises key periodicals from Zurich, Berlin, and Paris, while the subsequent section showcases books and ephemeral items created by Dada figures such as Max Ernst, Paul Eluard, and Tristan Tzara. Most materials are presented in their native languages, with several translations available online. For English-speaking audiences, Alfred Stieglitz's magazine 291 (1915-1916) provides a useful introduction. Emerging during World War I, the Dada movement rejected rational thought, with Tzara's "Dada Manifesto" from 1918 highlighting the importance of independence. Ultimately, Dada fractured, and its members faced obscurity under the Nazis.
Key facts
- The University of Iowa's International Dada Archive offers high-quality scanned images of original Dada publications through its Digital Dada Library
- The Digital Library's first section includes major Dada periodicals from Zurich, Berlin, Paris, and elsewhere
- The second section features books by Dada participants plus ephemeral materials such as exhibition catalogs and broadsides
- Digitized writings include works by Max Ernst, Paul Eluard, George Grosz, Man Ray, Francis Picabia, Jean Arp, Tristan Tzara, and Hugo Ball
- Alfred Stieglitz's magazine 291 was published in New York between 1915 and 1916 and was the most influential Dada magazine in English
- Issue 5–6 of 291 featured a nonsensical machine by Francis Picabia on its cover
- Tristan Tzara's 1918 "Dada Manifesto" declared Dada was born of a need for independence and a distrust toward unity
- Dada artists were forced out of Europe or hounded into obscurity by the Nazis
- An earlier version of the post appeared on Open Culture in 2019
Entities
Artists
- Theodor Adorno
- Jean Arp
- Tristan Tzara
- Hugo Ball
- Max Ernst
- Paul Eluard
- George Grosz
- Man Ray
- Francis Picabia
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Josh Jones
Institutions
- University of Iowa
- International Dada Archive
- Digital Dada Library
- Museum of Modern Art
- Open Culture
Locations
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Berlin
- Germany
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Durham
- North Carolina
- Iowa