
<p>In 1921, Tristan Tzara found himself battling to sustain Dada’s declining popularity. Aesthetic, political, and social differences among the movements’ most prominent members shook Dada at the foundation. In line with Dada’s emphasis on easy distribution, Tzara created this one-page flyer presenting a condensed, more direct iteration of the Dada Manifesto.</p> <p>The text’s inconsistent typefaces, orientation, and size embody the disorientation and randomness at the heart of the Dadaist philosophy. The flyer insists that Dada has no nationality and knows everything. Dada speaks to the reader, yet has never spoken. The back of the flyer gives objective yet nonsensical answers to the question “WHAT DOES DADA DO?”</p> <p>Lastly, the flyer presents a list of avant-garde artists and writers who stand with the Dada movement, including Andre Breton and Louis Aragon, co-founders of Surrealism.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1921
- Medium
- Letterpress
- Dimensions
- 28 × 22 cm (11 1/16 × 8 11/16 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Tristan Tzara
Artist
More
More by Tristan Tzara
Untitled
1936 · Ink on colored paper
Le Coeur à barbe (The Bearded Heart)
1922 · Letterpress and relief printing on two folded sheets
DADA soulève tout
1921 · Letterpress
Excursions & visites DADA,1ère visite: Église Saint Julien le Pauvre
1921 · Letterpress with stamped ink additions
Mouvement Dada letterhead
1921 · Letterpress
Excursions & visites Dada: 1ère visite, Eglise Saint Julien le Pauvre, jeudi 14 Avril
1921 · Letterpress with stamped ink additions
Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Tristan Tzara
- Year
- 1921
- Medium
- Letterpress
- Dimensions
- 28 × 22 cm (11 1/16 × 8 11/16 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1921-019746
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified






