Unlock Your Heads at Last!: Dada as Political Art

A vivid portrait of how Dada forged new models of political activism in art.

This book celebrates Dada, the art movement founded one hundred and ten years ago, but whose subversive political engagement remains highly relevant today. With a keen eye and biting satire, Dada produced forceful critiques while inquiring into political and social conditions. Featuring works by the most important Dada artists, this volume presents a multifaceted portrait of the movement and its many forms of expression, including painting, photography, theater, dance, literature, and satire.

An international group of experts recounts the history of Dada from its beginning in 1916 through to the 1930s. The volume's focus is on the movement's political motives and social activity, which served to unite this heterogeneous group of visual artists, writers, and figures from the theater. Emerging from the experience of World War I, Dada artists issued strong warnings about the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. The book vividly demonstrates how vital artistic voices can be in resisting inhumane and anti-democratic tendencies.