The Dada exhibition at the Arp Museum shows the still underestimated participation of women in the most subversive of all art movements of the 20th century. Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Hannah Höch, Gabrielle Buffet-Picabia and many other female artists influenced Dada. For the first time, their works can be seen alongside those of their male colleagues in a major survey exhibi­tion. With the unconditional will to overthrow the established order, Dada broke many boundaries, including those of gender.

Exuberant soirees, wild dance evenings and shrill happenings – Dada was avant-garde and revo­lutionary. The horrors of the First World War and the political upheavals in Europe brought together artists from literature, the visual arts, music and dance around the world who op­posed the system and sought new art forms. They responded to the perceived fragmenta­tion of the world with absurd, nonsensical and subtle contradictory artistic messages.

Around 200 paintings, works on paper, photo­graphs, films and texts illustrate Dada's diver­sity. Dutch artist Barbara Visser follows the trace of Dada baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loring­hoven; Scottish artist Susan Philipsz performs a sound installation in the museum's spectacular elevator shaft and musician Dirk von Lowtzow lends his voice to the famous Dada manifestos.

The exhibition catalogue was edited by Julia Wallner and published by Hirmer Verlag with contributions by Astrid von Asten, Christa Baumberger, Ina Boesch, Simone Gehr, Nora Gomringer, Talia Kwartler, Agathe Mareuge, Brygida Ochaim, Helene von Saldern, Isabel Schulz, Ursula Ströbele, Julia Wallner and Joëlle Warmbrunn.