Dada Cyborgs: Anticipating Cybernetic Identity in Weimar Germany
In a 2012 article from Art Press 2, the use of the cyborg theme by Berlin Dadaists is analyzed, focusing on its relation to technology, mass culture, and identity during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933). Notable artists such as Hannah Höch, Raoul Hausmann, George Grosz, John Heartfield, Otto Dix, and Rudolf Schlichter produced works featuring hybrid human-machine imagery and photomontages. Höch's "Schnitt mit dem Küchenmesser," created between 1919 and 1920, includes cyborgs like Kaiser Wilhelm II with a wheel embedded in his chest. These artistic expressions precede Norbert Wiener's cyborg concept from 1940 and foreshadow Donna Haraway's theories from the 1980s. Grosz's 1919 piece "Ein Opfer der Gesellschaft" critiques the duality of technology, while Hausmann's self-portrait "ABCD" from 1923-1924 presents him as a cyborg. The article also highlights Notgeld from Germany's hyperinflation period (1914-1923), showcasing the impact of ideology through mass reproduction.
Key facts
- The article was published in art press 2 n°25 'Cyborg' (May-June-July 2012).
- Berlin Dadaists used cyborg motifs during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933).
- Artists include Hannah Höch, Raoul Hausmann, George Grosz, John Heartfield, Otto Dix, Rudolf Schlichter.
- Höch's 'Schnitt mit dem Küchenmesser' (1919-1920) features Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hausmann as cyborgs.
- The first cyborg concept emerged in 1940 via Norbert Wiener's cybernetics research.
- Donna Haraway developed a second cyborg concept in the 1980s blending gender, class, race, species.
- Höch's 'Liebe' (1931) depicts two hybrid figures, evoking sapphism and racial mixing.
- Grosz's 'Ein Opfer der Gesellschaft' (1919) combines painting, photomontage, drawing, and buttons.
- Hausmann's 'ABCD' (1923-1924) self-portrait includes a gear-wheel monocle and various mass-reproduction fragments.
- Notgeld (emergency money) from Tostedt (1921) shows two hanged Jews with antisemitic slogans.
Entities
Artists
- Hannah Höch
- Raoul Hausmann
- George Grosz
- John Heartfield
- Otto Dix
- Rudolf Schlichter
- Wieland Herzfelde
- Theodor Däubler
- Sent M’ahesa
- Paul von Hindenburg
- Wilhelm II
- Kurt Schwitters
- El Lissitzky
- Marlene Dietrich
- Norbert Wiener
- Donna Haraway
Institutions
- art press
Locations
- Germany
- Berlin
- Hanover
- Tostedt
- United States
Sources
- artpress —