Hannah Höch 1889-1978: Collages

April 12–June 26, 1994

Hannah Höch, the only female member of the Berlin Dada group, revolutionized the genre of photomontage, the process originated by the Dada artists, of cutting up pre-existing imagery and reassembling it into new, unusual, and often humorous configurations.

Like her circle, Höch rejected traditional ideas of “fine art,” choosing instead to create new forms of expression more reflective of the fast-moving and highly mechanized world around her. She played a central role in the lively intellectual and artistic avant garde of post-World War I Berlin, which included such luminaries as George Grosz, Raoul Hausmann, John Heartfield, and Kurt Schwitters.

The exhibition of 31 collages afforded American audiences a rare opportunity to see the artist's work.

The exhibition was organized by the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations, Stuttgart, and the Goethe Institute, Chicago. The Chicago presentation was funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council.