Dadaism was a radical, early 20th-century “anti-art” movement formed during World War I as a protest against the rationalism, nationalism, and bourgeoisie values that led to the war. It embraced chaos, irrationality, and absurdity, utilizing techniques like readymades, collage, and chance to challenge the definition of art. 

Key Aspects of Dadaism:

• Purpose: Artists sought to shock, confuse, or provoke the public, viewing their work as a form of protest rather than traditional art.
• Anti-Art Philosophy: Dada rejected conventional aesthetics, traditional art techniques, and the idea that art must be beautiful or skillful.
• Methods: Common techniques included:
• Readymades: Using mass-produced, everyday objects as art, most notably Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (a urinal).
• Collage and Photomontage: Assembling found images, newspaper clippings, and materials to create fragmented, chaotic compositions.
• Chance: Allowing randomness to determine composition, such as Jean Arp tearing paper and pasting it where it fell.

• Origins: The movement began around 1916 at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland, before spreading to cities like Berlin, Paris, and New York.
• Impact: Dadaism directly influenced Surrealism, punk art, graphic design, and modern conceptual art.

Key figures included Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Höch, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Arp