Anti-bourgeois, anarchist, and pacifist, Dada offered sharp social criticism and biting satire, questioning prevailing values as well as political and social conditions and dynamics, especially those that had led to the catastrophe of the First World War. Founded in 1916 during the war, the movement's end is generally placed in the early 1920s, but artists like George Grosz, Hannah Höch, and John Heartfield later used art to fight against the rise of National Socialism. The National Socialists considered Dada "degenerated."
The art of the Dadaists is colorful, loud – and by no means uniform. They employed a wide variety of styles and produced literature, poetry, plays, paintings, prints, collages, and photographs. Yet, the political is a central common denominator, a thread running through the movement's work and expressing itself in diverse and unexpected ways. On its 110th anniversary, “Unlock your heads at last!” celebrates the Dada art movement and demonstrates the continued relevance of its political engagement.
Featuring works by, among others, Johannes Baader, Hugo Ball, Erwin Blumenfeld, Paul Citroen, Otto Dix, Otto Griebel, George Grosz, John Heartfield, Marta Hegemann, Emmy Hennings, Hannah Höch, Heinrich Hoerle, Richard Huelsenbeck, Franz Jung, Walter Mehring, Rudolf Schlichter, Kurt Schwitters, and Sophie Taeuber-Arp.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Katharina Günther. The art historian focuses on modern art and its political, social, and intellectual contexts. She combines historical precision with an exploration of the enduring relevance of artistic positions.
“Dada is exciting, innovative art, but also a call to action. The pacifist Dadaists already questioned the purpose of the First World War. Unemployment and poverty characterized the new Weimar Republic, and the bourgeoisie was sluggish in thought and action. Power structures from the German Empire remained in place, and a select few lined their own pockets. Dada denounced these injustices and challenged the public to look, reflect, and understand.” – Dr. Katharina Günther
A special highlight of the program is an evening with Blixa Bargeld on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The musician and author's very name is an homage to the Cologne Dadaist Johannes Baargeld. With Einstürzende Neubauten, the singer Bargeld brought Dada into the present. In his solo projects, he continues the Dadaist tradition of linguistic and intellectual radicalism. The musician, writer, and actor Rocko Shamoni will speak on Sunday, May 31, 2026, about Dada, nonsense, absurdity, and humor as stylistic and combative tools in art. Both events are presented in cooperation with Ox Fanzine.
Accompanying the exhibition, we are presenting Simon Wachsmuth’s video work From Heaven High [Vom Himmel hoch] (2025) as a contemporary intervention within our literature collection. He will join us for an artist talk on July 5, 2026.
“Dada is not ‘over’ even today. After NO!art and Fluxus, Dada survived underground and, above all, in music. Dada continues to exist in deliberate anti-sound, in playing with nonsense, in performative attacks from the litter box. Dada is a call to recognize the mechanisms of power in the image, in the sentence, in the reflex. ‘Open your head’ doesn’t mean more information. It means finally start thinking—and acting, so that our democracy doesn’t perish!” – Dr. Jürgen Joseph Kaumkötter
Accompanying program:
- Sat, May 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – Opening Reception
- Sun, May 10, 2026, 3:00 p.m. – Public Curator-led Tour with Dr. Katharina Günther
- Sun, May 31, 2026, 5:30 pm – Rocko Schamoni in conversation about Dada, nonsense, absurdity, and humor in art
- Thurs, June 25, 2026, 8:00 pm – Blixa Bargeld, Calibrated Meing – vocal solo performance
- Sun, July 5, 2026, 3:00 pm – Artist talk with Simon Wachsmuth and Prof. Dr. Christian Berger
- Sun, September 13, 2026, 3:00 pm – Closing event, guided tour with Rosa Räderscheidt
Public guided tours are offered on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. No prior registration is necessary. The tour is included in the admission price. The meeting point is in the foyer near the ticket counter.
Private tours for up to 25 people can be booked for €70.
Workshops for schools and other groups can be arranged individually.
For inquiries and to schedule a tour, please contact info@verfolgte-kuenste.de.
A bilingual catalog will be published by Hirmer Verlag to accompany the exhibition. It includes essays by Katharina Günther, Hanne Bergius, Lucy Byford, Agathe Mareuge, and "Let's Do It a Dada" by Jürgen Joseph Kaumkötter.
In the 130th episode of its podcast, the Ox-Fanzine takes a look at our Dada exhibition: „Punk & Dada“ (german)
The exhibition is supported by the Gerd Kaimer Citizens' Foundation Solingen, the Arts Foundation NRW and the LVR Regional Cultural Funding Program.
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Pressespiegel
Temporary Exhibition
:
Lifelines. Across borders
An art project by Hanna Melnykova
In the summer of 2025, photo artist Hanna Melnykova emigrated from Germany to Ukraine. The Museum Center for Persecuted Arts is showing the photographic documentation of their performative walk.
Guided Tours
:
Public guided tour “Unlock your heads at last!”
Dada as political art between the world wars
During our public Sunday tour, our art educators will guide you through the exhibition „Unlock your heads at last!“ Dada as Political Art Between the World Wars.
Guided Tours
:
Public guided tour “Unlock your heads at last!”
Dada as Political Art Between the World Wars
During our public Sunday tour, our art educators will guide you through the exhibition „Unlock your heads at last!“ Dada as Political Art Between the World Wars.
