The Bauhaus movement and the Dadaists had a complicated relationship. They both emerged in the aftermath of World War I and shared a desire to move away from traditional art and design styles. However, the Dadaists were more focused on anti-art and anti-establishment ideas, while the Bauhaus aimed to create a new aesthetic that was functional and accessible to everyone.
There were some individual Bauhaus members who were influenced by Dada, such as Marcel Breuer and Johannes Itten, who had connections to the Zurich Dada group. However, the overall philosophy of the Bauhaus was more aligned with the constructivist movement in Russia than with the chaotic and nihilistic tendencies of Dada.
Despite these differences, there was some cross-pollination between the two movements. The Bauhaus and Dadaists exhibited together in some shows, such as the 1923 Berlin “First International Dada Fair.” The Bauhaus also shared some of Dada’s interest in experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration, and some of the Bauhaus’s designs were considered radical and provocative.
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