WWI, Cabaret Voltaire & the beginnings of Dada

This is an excerpt from my documentary-in-progress on the dada movement, titled, "Random Acts of Beauty: The Story of Dada." The assassination of Austria's Archduke Francis Ferdinand in 1914, plunges Europe into war. The United States and Switzerland remained neutral, but because of it's proximity, Switzerland became the destination of choice for those wishing to escape the conflict. In early 1916, just a few weeks before the battle of Verdun, the Cabaret Voltaire opens, just a block and a half away from where V.I. Lenin is spending his exile. It is founded by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings; entertainers who attract a small cadre of like-minded exiles. They embark on a campaign of ever more outrageous acts, which gain traction amongst the public. Soon, they chose a name for themselves, and the rest is history.

[@growskull]

in my humble opinion, the cabaret voltaire is the greatest thing to ever happen to art

[@BobHooker]

Renaissance?

[@differous01]

I grew up with the Goon Show, Yellow Submarine, Monty Python, and the Talking Heads... Dada's absurdism never went away.

[@byronicTwist]

+differous01 - I agree, it just took on other names!

[@differous01]

Byron Caplan I Zimbra (as popularised by Talking Heads) turned me onto both Dada and the phenomena of 'speaking in tongues'. We're born burbling in the cadence and rhythm of our mother-tongue, adding the phonetics as we develop (mumum at the breast, then dada...). So this ability, which feels spiritual, is actually primal. Dada poetry by another name.

[@byronicTwist]

+differous01 - you should also be interested in Kurt Schwitters and the Ursonate... another video i've made

[@differous01]

Byron Caplan Thanks. I like it. Ur sonate, presumably referencing the first written language of the Sumerians (I was anticipating a bear reference for some reason)

[@Massigangster]

The ending of this docu is great. Love the last sentence xD

[@lisakwaterski6707]

I went to a major NYC exhibit on Dada art years ago. They had Dada poetry coming out of speakers, along with Duchamp art and experimental film. It was worth the trip.

[@janetplanet918]

This is great- I'm a performance artist applying for a grant and during research I found this. THANKS! My project is an offshoot from DADA being a traveling cabaret of ridiculousness provoking action in the audience on current issues.

[@byronicTwist]

Thank you very much for your positive response. I still need to raise money to pay for archive film and copyrights before the entire project can be released. The segments i've put up online are without copyright issues. Perhaps this is a good time to go to "Kickstarter." -Byron

[@rodanthivardouli7233]

Best of luck with that - hope you get to release it very soon. Please post the link if you put it up on kickstarter!

[@chrislewis-jones2041]

great to see Byron. I'll enjoy sharing this with colleagues from several studios and Dance4 who are meeting at my studio at Primary on Monday to discuss how we mark the centenary of Cabaret Voltaire. All power to you creative elbow! (Cabaret Voltaire Volunteers, Primary, Nottingham)

[@byronicTwist]

+Chris Lewis-Jones it's great to know that this can be of some use for you, especially on the centennial anniversary!

[@rodanthivardouli7233]

Is the documentary ready? I'd really like to watch it.

[@crazydogaudio]

This is wonderful! Best of luck finishing.

[@pianomanhere]

Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" was a great choice for the opening music. 👍

[@byronicTwist]

It was so appropriate on so many levels that it's hard to imagine using anything else. Thanks for noticing. I have other segments from my unreleased doc to see. i would be interested to hear your opinion of my music choices for other segments, such as theo van doesburg & dada in berlin.

[@JSTNtheWZRD]

Or meaning ceased to have words

[@byronicTwist]

Ha!

[@derinformationstechniker4507]

very interesting

[@akayakayz]

Why is Klaus Kinski edited in at 5:34?

[@byronicTwist]

Bravo! You recognized his voice! I'm impressed... but let me ask you... why do you think i used him? Was he just a random figure I chose on a whim? I chose him for several reasons... First, he was German speaking just as Richard Huelsenbeck was. Second, Kinski's 1971 performance of, "Jesus Christ Savior" was angry, confrontational and extremely provocative; beautifully paralleling the drama, pathos and emotion of one of Huelsenbeck's tirades at the Cabaret Voltaire. Third, because Kinski (just like Huelsenbeck), spewed invective at his audience without giving a damn about the consequences. And fourth, because Kinski himself, at that moment, was Dada, whether he recognized it or not... ...so using a snippet of his voice from that performance seemed to be the perfect choice for portraying one of Huelsenbeck's rants at the Cabaret Voltaire... especially to a non-German speaking audience.... Don't you agree? I hope you don't mind (or actually, i don't give a damn!). btw- that was me in silhouette portraying Huelsenbeck. cheers! -b

[@euls868]

very clever choice, thank you for explaining

[@francescaa8331]

Did you finish it? I'd love be to see

[@byronicTwist]

this is a link to the latest rough draft... let me know what you think. vimeo.com/357877121

[@cciale]

@@byronicTwist link doesn't work

[@byronicTwist]

@@cciale sorry to hear that, i just tried it again and it works for me. don't know what to suggest except try again.

[@byronicTwist]

vimeo.com/357877121

[@JSTNtheWZRD]

The African chants remind me of the Letterists, and of Isou. It's not absurd as much as it is transcendent, or rather - away - from normal, because isn't normality in itself absurd. Something like that. To say to hell with the world of men and here's how to repel that atmosphere, create our own in opposition. Or something like that, I dunno, what do I know, I'll tell you, " ", see! I told you I knew.

[@DayanaDeHabana]

7:50

[@josemigueltrujillodiaz9123]

honey badger :)

[@antigen4]

not 'mairie' as you pronounced but 'mayer-eye'

[@byronicTwist]

yeah, you are right. i am changing that. oddly enough, i just found that out for myself last week. Thanks. cheers!

[@antigen4]

there are FAR worse mistakes on youtube ... but just thought i'd point it out in case it helps for the future ...

[@user-co5yi1jk2m]

안뉘 교숭님밍 영엉다큥라고뉸 얘귀안회주숐다큐요 뉭물놔뇌

[@jjeritt]

이 과제 올해도 해여...ㅎ

[@cultgallery]

9:21

[@jamesbunch8932]

I like the cheesy German accent. Playful...