CHRONIQUE ZURICHOISE 1915 – 1919

by Tristan Tzara, written in 1922

1915 November
Arp van Rees Mrs van Rees exhibition, at the Tanner Gallery – great rumour new men see in paper – and only see a world of crystalsimplicitymetal – neither art nor painting (Choir of critics: “What to do?” Exclusive constipation) a world of clearnesslinepreciseness turns a somersault for some brilliant-expected wisdom.

1916 February
In a most obscure street with darken stony ground, where one can meet discreet detectives under red street-laternes – BIRTH – birth of CABARET VOLTAIRE.

1916 26. February
HUELSENBECK ARRIVES – bums! bumbumbum.
Gala night – simultanpoem in three languages.

1916 June
Publication: ‘Cabaret Voltaire’, Price 2 frs. Print: J. Heuberger.
Contributions: Apollinaire, Picasso, Modigliani, Arp, Tzara, van Hoddis, Huelsenbeck, Kandinsky, Marinetti, Cangiullo, van Rees, Slodki, Ball, Hennings, Janco, Cendrars etc.
The cabaret existed 6 months.

1916 14. July
For the first time anywhere. Guildhall ‘zur Waag’. 1. Dada-night (music, dance, lectures, manifestos, poems, paintings, fancy dresses, masks).
In the crowd of the audience Tzara demonstrates, we demand, we demand the right, to piss in various colours. Huelsenbeck demonstrates, Ball demonstrates, Arp ‘Explanation’, Janco ‘My Paintings’, Heusser ‘Own Compositions’.

1916 July
For the first time collection Dada (patented cocktail). Just published: Tristan Tzara: ‘The First Heavenly Adventure of Mr. Antipyrine’. With coloured woodcuts by Marcel Janco. Price 2 frs.
Impotence cured, advance-payment on request.

1916 September
‘Phantastic prayers’ – verses of Richard Huelsenbeck with 7 woodcuts by Arp. Collection Dada.

1916 Oktober
‘Schalaben Schalomai Schalamezomai’ by Richard Huelsenbeck, with drawings by Arp. Collection Dada.

1917 January/February
Gallery Corray, Zürich, Bahnhofstrasse.
1. Dada-Exhibition
Van Rees, Arp, Janco, Tscharner, Mme van Rees, Luethy, Richter, Helbig, negroart, brilliant success: the new art. Tzara gives three lectures: 1. Cubism, 2. The old and the new art, 3. The contemporary art. Big placard by Richter, placard by Janco.

1917 17. March
Dada gallery-directors: Tzara, Ball. 17. März: carry-in lecture.
I. exhibition of Campendonk, Kandinsky, Klee, Mense etc.

1917 23. March
Great opening, gallery Dada, Zürich, Bahnhofstr. 19. Red lamps, matresses, social sensation, piano: Heusser, Perottet.
Lectures: Hennings, A. Ehrenstein, Tzara, Ball. Dances: Miss Taeuber, Fancy dresses by Arp, C. Walter etc. etc., great enraptured fuss of 400 celebrating people.

1917 21. March, 28. March, 4. April and every wednesday –
gallery-sightseeing under the guidance of L. H. Neitzel, Arp, Tristan Tzara.
LECTURES: 24. März, Tzara: ‘Expressionism and abstract art’;
31. März, Dr. W. Jollos: ‘Paul Klee’; 7. April, Ball: ‘Kandinsky’;
28. März, Tzara: ‘About the new art’.

1917 14. April
Second performance at the gallery Dada: Jarry, Marinetti, Apollinaire, van Hoddis, Cendrars, Kandinsky.
NIGHTLY ATTACK:
Heusser, Ball, Glauser, Tzara, Sulzberger, A. Ehrenstein, Hennings etc. negromusic and dance with support by Miss Jeanne Rigaud and Miss Maja Kruscek, Masken von Janco.
Premiere: ‘Sphynx and Dummy’ by O. Kokoschka, Firdusi, Gummimann, soul, death.
This show decided the role of the theatre, which will entrust the stagedirection the subtile invention of outbreaking wind, the scenery in the midst of the audience, visible conducting and grotesque pillars: The dadaesque theatre. Above all masks and ‘coups de theatre’, the image of the director. Bravo! and high, high!

1917 9.-30. April
Second exhibition at the gallery Dada. Bloch, Baumann, Max Ernst, Feininger, Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Kokoschka etc. etc.

1917 28. April
NEW ART-NIGHT – Tzara: Cold light, simultanpoem with 7 persons. Glauser: Poems. Negromusic and dances. Janco: Paintings. Mme Perottet: Music by Laban, Schönberg etc., Ball, Hennings etc. F. Hardekopf reads own works.

1917 2.-29. Mai
Third exhibition at the gallery Dada: Arp, Baumann, G. de Chirico, Helbig, Janco, P. Klee, 0. Luethy, A. Macke, I. Modigliani, E. Prampolini, van Rees, Mme van Rees, von Rebay, H. Richter, A. Segal, Slodki, J. von Tscharner etc. CHILDRENDRAWINGS – NEGROPLASTICARTS – embroidery, relief.

1917 12. Mai
Gallery Dada: OLD AND NEW DADA-ART-NIGHT.
A. Spa. from Jacopone da Todi to Francesco Meriano and Maria d’Arezzo; Music from Heusser, performed by the componist; Arp: Verses. Böhme: Of Cold and Calcinations.
‘Negropoems’, translated and read by Tzara/Aranda, Ewe, Basoutos, Kinga, Loritja, Baronga/Hennings, Janco, Ball etc. Aegidius Albertinus, Narrenhatz’ frogsinging.
The public demand after the mix of natural recovery with wild Bamboula, which we presented successfull, forced us to a REPETITION OF THE OLD AND NEW ART-NIGHT at the 19. Mai.

1917 25. Mai
H. Heusser introduce OWN COMPOSITIONS, piano, singing, harmonium, lecture: Miss K. Wulff.

1917 1. June
Due to holliday the gallery closes for an indefinite time.

1917 Juli
Mysterious creation! Magique rotation! The DADA-MOVEMENT is launched.

1917 July
‘DADA’ Nr. 1, magazine for art and literature, is published.
Arp, Luethy, Moscardelli, Savinio, Janco, Tzara, Meriano.

1917 Dezember
‘DADA’ Nr. 2, price 2 frs. Contributions: van Rees, Arp, Delaunay, Kandinsky, Maria d’Arezzo, Chirico, P. A. Birot, G. Cantarelli, etc. etc.

1918 July
Just published:
Tristan Tzara: ’25 poems’
arp: 10 woodcuts
collection dada

1918 24. July
Guildhall ‘zur Meise’ – Tristan-Tzara-Night Manifesto Antithesis Thesis Antiphilosophy DadaDADA DADA dada dadaist Spontanety Dadaist Disgust LAUGHING Poems Silence Sadness; Diarrhoea can also be a feeling.

1918 September
Wolfsberg-Gallery. Exhibition by Arp, Richter, McCouch, Baumann, Janco, etc.

1918 Dezember
‘DADA’ Nr. 3, price 1.50 frs., Luxuryedition: 20 frs. (Reverdy, Raimondi, Hardekopf, Huelsenbeck, Picabia, Prampolini, Birot, Soupault, Arp, Segal, Janco, Richter, Dermée, Huidobro, Savinio, Tzara made contributions).
Let us destroy, let us be good, let us build a new crucial-point. NO = YES. Arp’s woodcuts.
DR. W. SERNER attraction!

1918 31. Dezember
Arp: The column of lying legs The Boardphenomen Dance Crater Procession of Lights in the darkness Cocktail Surprises for Lovers and Advanced Foxtrott Flake Wigman, Kruscek Taeuber, Madness in centimetres Problematic and visual Bitterness.

1918 January
Exhibition of Picabia, Arp, Giacometti, Baumann, Ricklin etc. at the artmuseum.

1919 16. January
Artmuseum. Lecture by Tzara: ‘About abstract Art’ with lanternslides.

1919 February
Just released: ‘Publications of the Dada-Movement’ 391
Price 2 frs. / Travelmagazin / New York-Barcelona / Gabrielle Dada Manifesto Buffet.

1919 9. April
Guildhall ‘zur Kaufleuten’ NON PLUS ULTRA
9. Dada-Night. Manager: W. Serner
1500 Persons, on the boilingpoint, filled up the hall.

1919 May
Last News: ‘DADA-ANTHOLOGY’ Dada Nr. 4/5, Price 4 frs., Luxuryedition: 20 frs.

1919 June
Duel Arp-Tzara on the ‘Rehalp’, with pistols, which got in the same direction. Listeners to a private bluish victory-ceremony invited.

1919 Oktober
Just released: ‘DER ZELTWEG’ / Dadaists in the crossfire!
Price 2 frs. Contributions: O. Flake, Huelsenbeck, Christian Schad, Serner, Arp, Tzara, Giacometti, Baumann, Helbig, Eggeling, Richter, Vats, Taeuber, Wigman, Schwitters etc.
Dadaists in the spotlight!!! Neo-Dadaism pay attention of pickpockets e pericoloso. Tr. Tzara.

Till the 15. Oktober are published 8590 articles about Dada in the newspapers and magazines of the following cities: Barcelona, St. Gallen, New York, Rapperswil, Berlin, Warschau, Mannheim, Prag, Rohrschach, Wien, Bordeaux, Hamburg, Bologna, Nürnberg, Chaux-de-fonds, Kolmar, Jassy, Bari, Kopenhagen, Bukarest, Genf, Boston, Frankfurt, Budapest, Madrid, Zürich, Lyon, Basel, Christiania, Bern, Neapel, Köln, Sevilla, München, Rom, Horgen, Paris, Effretikon, Bern, London, Innsbruck, Amsterdam, Santa-Cruz, Leipzig, Lausanne, Chemnitz, Rotterdam, Brüssel, Dresden, Santiago, Stockholm, Hannover, Florenz, Venedig, Washington etc. etc.