Hugo Ball: Dada Manifesto

Hugo Ball and his Dada Manifesto.

"An International word. Just a word, and the word a movement. Very easy to understand. Quite terribly simple. To make of it an artistic tendency must mean that one is anticipating complications. Dada psychology, dada Germany cum indigestion and fog paroxysm, dada literature, dada bourgeoisie, and yourselves, honoured poets, who are always writing with words but never writing the word itself, who are always writing around the actual point. Dada world war without end, dada revolution without beginning, dada, you friends and also-poets, esteemed sirs, manufacturers, and evangelists. Dada Tzara, dada Huelsenbeck, dada m'dada, dada m'dada dada mhm, dada dera dada, dada Hue, dada Tza".

                                                                       Hugo Ball: Dada  Manifesto

QUOTE INTERPRETATION:

My understanding of Hugo Ball's second paragraph of his Dada Manifesto is , he was saying that, Dada is a simple word that has come to be accepted internationally. It is a simple term, and can be used for a movement. When the word, 'dada' is used in an artistic way, it becomes more complex and complicated. For instance, when he said, "Dada Germany," he was emphasizing on the country's socio-economic, and political problem of the time. He tried to say that, there was a problem with the literary works and the poets of the time, by saying, "dada literature and honored poets." To him, these poets were; " always writing with words but never writing the word itself, who are always writing around the actual point." I understand he was trying to say that German and everybody at the time had a big issue to deal with. He tried to talk about the ruling or the middle class being corrupted and that, there was a problem with the social class when he said, "dada bourgeoisie." He went further to shed light on the world wars that were taking place and seemed not to end. The so-called esteemed sirs, manufacturers and more. I think he was just trying to say that, there were weaknesses and flaws in the system. 

I chose the quote because it clearly explained what dadaism meant in a broader sense. It has become a concept that had come to ridicule and pinpoint the betrayal of the German society. It did such perfectly by distancing itself from the conventions or traditions of the country. Their arts were portrayed to be different and against the existing arts, and the messages in them were only meant to satire the laws, government, politics, economic and social structures.

This quote succeeded in making me think that, a society can do better if its citizens understand the flaws it has and are not afraid to voice it out. I can say that, a lot has changed in German's society because of the introduction of dadaism. I know that most countries that were colonized during the 18th and 19th century had their independence when they tried to make their colonial masters realized it was time to. For instance, the American society, in the 1960s passed and amended laws that segregate because most people had started to see the weakness in the system, and most importantly, the African-Americans themselves were making their grievances open. It is the same now, when the government is making a bad decisions and the masses are silent, he wouldn't see anything wrong about it, and would go ahead with it. 

I can also relate what the quote stands to the present times in terms of the world war, and the unpleasant condition of the people as a result of war. The U.S. seems to be going to war with countries that produces most of the world's crude oil. And whenever that happens, it affects the socio-economic structure. Prices of petroleum rises, inflation sets in, unemployment rises up because government is no longer able to create job or hire workers, deficit, poverty and poor living standards, and so forth.