Quiz
In his iconic 1919 Dada assemblage sculpture 'The Spirit of Our Age' (also known as 'Mechanical Head'), what everyday object did Raoul Hausmann use as the base to represent a human head stripped of its inner thoughts?
Chapter 1
The birth of Berlin Dada and photomontage
Chapter 2
The mechanical head and sensory art
Chapter 3
Exile, photography, and the Ibiza years
Ch 2 · The mechanical head and sensory art
Quiz
In Raoul Hausmann's satirical 1919–1920 photomontage 'The Art Critic' ('Der Kunstkritiker'), what visual feature represents the critic's lack of genuine sensory perception and artistic vision?
schopenhauer The Mechanical Head
A tape measure wrapped around a wooden mind, Where sound turns to light and the colors align.
schopenhauer Hausmann designed a machine called the Optophone to convert light waves into musical sounds.
Fun Fact
Sound poetry: Hausmann's sound poem fmsbwtözäu directly inspired Kurt Schwitters to write his famous Ursonate, one of the most influential sound poems in history.
schopenhauer Hausmann invented "optofonetic" poetry, which turned letters of the alphabet into visual sheet music.
Glossary
assemblage (noun)
A work of art made by grouping found or unrelated objects together. In 1919, Raoul Hausmann created a famous mannequin sculpture using a ruler, pocket watch, and other objects.
A work of art made by grouping found or unrelated objects together. In 1919, Raoul Hausmann created a famous mannequin sculpture using a ruler, pocket watch, and other objects.
BETA
schopenhauer Drag found objects onto the head to discover how Raoul Hausmann made Dada art.
Quiz
What is the English name of Hausmann's famous wooden mannequin sculpture, Mechanischer Kopf?
Quiz
What futuristic device did Hausmann patent in 1934 to turn light and color into sound?
Quiz
In Hausmann's collage 'The Art Critic,' what is stamped behind the critic's neck?
Quiz
What did Hausmann call his poetry that combined visual letters with spoken sounds?
Quiz
Which famous sound poem by Kurt Schwitters was inspired by Hausmann's vocal performances?