Raoul Hausmann's 'Hylé' Published by Les Presses du Réel

Les Presses du réel has published 'Hylé', a previously unavailable manuscript by Raoul Hausmann, the Dada Berlin agitator known for inventing the optophone and photomontage. The book, over 1,000 pages, is an unfinished autobiography in two parts: before and after 1933, the Reichstag fire, and his forced departure from Germany. Only the second part appears here, ending in 1936. During this period, Hausmann lived in exile on Ibiza, then a forgotten island, until the Spanish Civil War and Franco's victory drove him away. 'Hylé', Greek for matter, complements 'eidos' (form) and reflects his theory of vision, forcing perceptual boundaries and engaging an antisocial experience. The text, written with his two wives, documents the failure of his chosen family. The 330-page French edition includes private considerations cut from the 1969 German version, though additions are unmarked and translations have awkward moments. The translation was a tour de force, mixing multiple languages and sound permutations typical of the underrecognized writer. Reviewed by Cécile Bargues.