27th Annual Student Research Conference
Anti-art in Performance: from Dada to Punk
Sarah Moldafsky
Dr. Julia DeLancey, Dr. Sara Orel, and Prof. John Bohac , Faculty Mentors
Fueled by the revolutionary atmosphere of Berlin during the Weimar Republic, The Berlin Dada group pioneered a type of anti-art performance that used shock techniques to make a socio-political statement. During the short time they were active, the Dadaist put on several different performances which they called Dada Soires. These absurd performances were highly interactive and used shock techniques to enrage the audience and often ended in violence. While seemingly pointless, these were used to comment on the current social, political, and economic environment. The techniques developed by in the Berlin Dadas avant-garde performances are reflected in later avant-garde movements. One of the most compelling examples is the punk movement that emerged in the late 80s DIY movement and used similar shock performance techniques to enrage audience members.
Keywords: Dada, Anti-art, Punk, Performance, Shock Performance , Berlin Dada, GG Allin
Topic(s):Art - Art History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 212-1
Location: OP 2210
Time: 9:30