Dadaism - Marcel Duchamp

A copy of the Mona Lisa with a moustache drawn on it and a urinal displayed in an art gallery are two famous provocations of Dadaism (also known as Dada), an artistic movement that emerged in the early 1900s to challenge and mock traditional ideas of art.

Marcel Duchamp, one of Dadaism’s best-known figures, invented readymades: everyday objects, such as a bicycle wheel, which he displayed in art galleries.

According to Duchamp, readymades are art because the focus is not on the everyday object itself, but on the audience’s recognition of the role of the artist who arbitrarily chooses the object.

You will soon take part in an interactive experience and, as a Dadaist experiment, treat it as an art object.

The focus of the art is not on the object, but on the role of the artist (in this case, you) who turns it into a work of art.

DEBRIEFING: Dadaism - Marcel Duchamp

You interacted with a readymade, turning it into art through your thoughts.

During the experience, you may have found it difficult to truly consider the video game a work of art.

This reflects the central challenge of Dadaism: questioning our preconceived ideas about what is or is not art.