Shows why and how the Dadaists' conception of nonsense-their central aesthetic principle-is deeply indebted to the economic notion of inflation.


Dada is one of the most iconic avant-garde movements in literary, visual, and performative art. This book reveals its complex relationship to the German economy during and after World War I. The Dadaists formed during an economic downturn that began in 1914, accelerated with the revolutionary uprisings of 1918, and culminated in the catastrophic hyperinflation of 1923. The loss of value of the Reichsmark-at its peak, 4.2 trillion to the dollar-led to extreme dislocations: millions lost their savings, while others saw their debts wiped out; stores were empty while black markets boomed; employment was high, but incomes were worthless. The Dadaists saw a world turned upside down and responded in kind. By reflecting an economy that had already become Dada, they enshrined nonsense as their central aesthetic ideal.

Dada Economy shows why and how the Dadaists' conception of nonsense is deeply indebted to the economic notion of inflation. Their works display a new commitment to an economic aesthetic that follows the principles of efficiency, impact maximization, and disruption. Their understanding of life as a work of art and art as a way of life, however, upends the transactional logic of economic exchange. Chapters are dedicated to Johannes Baader, Emmy Hennings, Hugo Ball, Kurt Schwitters, and Hannah Höch, framed by a comprehensive introduction and a brief conclusion.