Dadaism, is an art movement of the European Avant-Garde in the early 20th century.  Dada, in Zurich, Switzerland began in 1916 and was reaction against the horror and futility of WW1.

“Freedom. Dada, Dada, Dada, crying open the constricted pains, swallowing the contrasts and all the contradictions, the grotesqueries and the illogicalities of life” – Tristan Tzara, 1918

Dadaism focused primarily against an art subversive to any traditional values and morals. This meant abolishing all logic and wanting to destroy the deceptions of reason. This meant that Chance and spontaneity:  what ever came along would be considered art in every form. This  was then considered a anarchical and irrational action and event which sparked emotions such as shock, surprise and scandal. This was all result on a wanted audience reaction, testing their taste and level of tolerance.

Dada has influenced most of the 20th century art movements: Surrealism, Russian Constructivism,   Situationism, Fluxus, Pop Art, Conceptual Art, Minimalism and Performance Art.

Dada was used as a model of revolt for these movements, including influence from the ‘Sex Pistols’ and Punk rock.