About
A Decorating Dissidence Project
Take Dada Seriously!
In 1920, the International Dada Fair shocked Berlin. The era’s most radical, experimental artists showcased shockingly confrontational works that lampooned the establishment and ripped up the rules of conventional art. The collage and photomontage work on display reflected a broken society that had been shattered by violent conflict and rampant capitalism.
It’s worth it?
Yet, there is much to critique in Dada’s approaches too. Not least the appropriation of African and indigenous art, lack of gender parity and approaches to sexuality. We use this platform as a way to challenge art history and open up a global perspective on the movement. We aim to reclaim avant-garde techniques that can recharge us politically today, whilst being mindful of its failures.
The Artists
We are working with four contemporary artists and makers – Bettina Fung, Jade Montserrat, Sara Kelly and Hannah Skinner – who will each respond to Dada to reflect on their practice and contemporary issues.
Learn more about the artists Learn more about the artistsThe Salons
A salon is a space for sharing art, poetry, ideas, conversation. We will host two dedicated pages to different topics to share the voices of artists, makers, academics and public submissions that break down and explore each topic.
Learn more about the salons Learn more about the salonsThe Resources
We are working with Young Creators UK to deliver a series of making workshops led by our artists. Each artist reflects on a Dada technique to deliver a workshop that produces tangible craft skills. To support these workshops, we have developed a series of resources that will be updated over the month to share more about Dada and beyond.
Read the resources Read the resourcesDecorating Dissidence
The decorative is political. Craft is powerful. We host workshops, curate exhibitions and facilitate discussions on the topics of decorative art. We trace the lineage of modernist making legacies to the contemporary and bring to light stories of marginalised makers.
Decorating Dissidence is an interdisciplinary project exploring the political, aesthetic & conceptual qualities of craft from modernism to the contemporary. The project brings together art practitioners, makers, curators, activists and academics to break down disciplinary boundaries and find new ways to critically engage with feminist art history. It opens up a space for intergenerational dialogue between contemporary and modernist makers, in order to reveal the lasting legacies of marginalised women artists who worked at the dissident intersections between established mediums and modes of modern art.
Decorating Dissidence is run by Jade French, Suzanna Petot, and Dr Lottie Whalen.
Learn more about the Decorating Dissidence Learn more about the Decorating DissidenceSupported By
