The Dada Nouveau Philosophy
Deeper thoughts on art, society, and the evolution of humanity in a technological world
Do you ever feel like you’ve fallen between the cracks of society? Disillusioned? Disappointed? Alone and unseen? Wasting your potential? Uncomfortable in your human skin? “So no one told you life was gonna be this way?”
Well down here in the gaps of the post-millennial sidewalk, a dandelion is growing called Dada Nouveau. Inspired by the artistic movements at the tumultuous turn of the 20th century, Dada Nouveau is a reaction to the “Roaring 2020’s” when pandemic, recession, war, social media, and Artificial Intelligence completely changed the human civilization we strive to be a part of. It’s a philosophy, a creative movement, a community, and a way of life which celebrates humans being, and humans doing, authentically, passionately, and intelligently, as we navigate an uncertain future for ourselves, our homelands, and our species.
The vision of The Dada Nouveau Society is primarily a social community, rather than a productive collective or workshop; it’s a place to belong for creative types who may have lost their communities of origin (family, friends, religious groups, classmates, colleagues) through immigration, graduation, unemployment, solo work, life changes, health crises, personal growth, etc. It’s a way to connect when modern networking and relationships leave us lost between the cracks. It’s a place for "cultural creatives," and the newly-coined “otroverts,” those of an “otherness” who prefer independence and free thought, but want to be independent free-thinkers… together.
WHAT DOES DADA NOUVEAU MEAN?
“Dada” (a nonsense word, and anti-establishment art movement circa 1915-1924) suggests that we approach the hyper-consumerist, capitalist, mechanistic, exploitative, mass-productive, environment-depleting hustle culture of modern society with precaution, critical thinking, and alternative ideas that the world might find a little surreal and silly.
“Nouveau” (French for “new,” and an Applied Art style developed circa 1883-1914) alludes to a revival: of the human mind, body, and spirit over artificial intelligence; of appreciation for organic beauty, individuality, and creativity; of social and community-centered movements amid an exclusive and overly pedantic Art market; and of grassroots collective reactions to ever-changing geopolitical circumstances and trauma.
Find more details on the "Dada and Art Nouveau" tab
To put away the art-speak, The Dada Nouveau Society is just a fancy name dreamed up by an American immigrant named Jess for the community of eclectic friends she hoped to gather in her living room someday, to talk about the deep things of life, love, and llamas, foster creative expression in all mediums, write nonsensical songs in impromptu jam sessions, and sometimes wear silly hats and make weird noises.
For more information about the vision and founder, please see the "About" tab.
WHY?
It’s simple: community relationships, physical contact, and present-moment engagement with our senses and self-expression is the foundation of human civilization. We feel that the evolution of technology, social media, and Artificial Intelligence is leading to un-civilization, as humanity is increasingly un-related, un-touched, un-seen, and un-doing in our everyday lives. We have a hypothesis that the most effective way to reduce the suffering and violence in this world is to live, relate, create, and introspect in our physical human forms, in our local communities. Globalization, diversity, and unity, to us, means physical travel, face-to-face meetings, and forming relationships with other human beings in their various cultures, not computers, political activism, or statistics.
If you are excited about technology, robotics, and AI becoming the next step of human evolution, this Society is not the place for you. If you think humans are data-mines to be exploited for profit, this Society is not the place for you. If you remember and respect the days when technology meant responsibly developing tools to connect humans to physical presence in supportive communities, your creativity, passion, and insight will be welcome here.
The Dada Nouveau Society dares to believe that joy in life shouldn't have a tuition fee; respect and support shouldn't have to be merited, and physical contact and embodied living is a sacred birthright of our being. Sure, we have expenses and circumstances, and however we choose to provide for our needs is not in question. What we propose is a place to be in reality, to share, to exist together, and offer up our inner gifts of love to ourselves and the world, one hour, one day, one week at a time; a few moments to lay down the work hustle and pressure and just be our authentic, creative selves. Financial donations are only collected to secure a space to gather. Any venues, private homes, or public spaces that become available or offered without operating costs will require no donations.
Some of us are scared, angry, or confused about what comes next for humanity, and ourselves, in this fast-changing world of technology, globalization, AI, economic and political upheaval, and the very function of humans and society. Some of us are also hopeful, excited, creative, and have a zest for life regardless. We need a space to explore these dynamic emotions and experiences, to vent our fears and frustrations, and give birth to new ideas, self-expression, and creativity. We're looking for community and sustainability, but not quite ready to run off and build a self-sustaining commune in the middle of nowhere.
The Dada Nouveau Society is like a painter’s spray booth. We are free to be colorful and messy, we’re free to be loud, we’re free to experiment in all the ways we authentically feel, but it’s contained – not restrained! – for safety reasons, for ourselves and for others. We’re not vandalizing, we’re not violating, we’re not fighting against anything, but rather living the changes we want to see in the world.
That’s not to say you have to “keep it clean” here, that you can’t discuss uncomfortable and scandalous ideas or make provocative art – that’s exactly what we seek to create a safe space for. But it should be clear that this is a place of healing, of hope, of rebuilding, and we get there through our fear, through our messiness, and not around it. We remain aware that anger and force and revolution and anti-movements are not the end goal; they are, at most, temporary means we navigate on our way to peaceful and joyful living. And we always, always, respect one another’s experiences, personhood, autonomy, and boundaries.