What was Dada Art?

Artists in this movement were largely anti-war, anti-bourgeois, and radically leftist. The work they made was designed to question society at large, which they believed was falling apart. They did not aim to make beautiful art but rather to make statements and start conversations.

The use of readymades—or purchasable objects that could be labeled art—was a cornerstone of the movement as was randomization. The artist Hans Arp was particularly interested in using chance to create collage and—as a result—calling into question the role of the artist.

Dadaism is also uniquely contrarian—it was not uncommon for dadaists to proclaim ‘Dada is anti-Dada,’ as they were so devoted to the subversion of culture. Many scholars believe the movement eventually led to the development of Surrealism in Paris.

Marcel Duchamp, one of the most famous Dadaists, was particularly interested in playing with identity, public perception, and demolishing the parameters of Western art. Duchamp’s mustachioed Mona Lisa entitled L.H.O.O.Q is probably the most blatant example of that latter goal especially.