Cabaret Voltaire

The nightclub 'Cabaret Voltaire' in Zurich, Switzerland was founded by Hugo Ball, one of the leading Dada artists, and his companion Emmy Hennings, a performer and poet, on the 1st of February 1916 as a cabaret for political and artistic purposes. The events at the club proved pivotal in the founding of the art movement known as Dada.
During the first world war Switzerland was a neutral country and many refugees that were artists came to Zurich from all over Europe. Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings approached Ephraim, a patron who had hosted Zurich's first literary Cabaret, who permitted them to use the back room for events.

Karwane

 

In 1916, Higo Ball wrote his poem "Karawane" which consists of gibberish and nonsensical words. There is no real meaning behind Hugo Ball's poem, which reflects the meaning of Dada, "Not having a meaning".

Rrose Selavy

 

Rrose Selavy was a pseudonyms, a character or almost second personality, of the artist Marcel Duchamp, a French painter, sculptor and writer who associated with Dadaism and conceptual art who was born on the 28th of July 1887 and died on the 2nd of October 1968. The first evidence of Marcel cross-dressing as Rrose Selavy came in a series of photographs in 1921. Rrose Selvary was portrayed as an aristrocat and rightful queen of France.