Dada Africa

by Esther Tisa Francini

Apart from the notorious brouhaha it caused on the European art scene of the time, the Dada movement aimed also at bringing to life non-European forms of artistic expression. The Dadaists understood shape, material, sound, and movement as equally valid means of cultural manifestation. This aspect of one of the 20th century's most influential artistic movements has been largely ignored so far by scholars and connoisseurs alike. Zürich's Museum Rietberg is home to a vast collection of African art gathered by Han Coray, a Zürich-based patron of the arts and collector who also staged Dada shows...