MA-g
The Museum of Avant-garde

Kurt Schwitters

Germany (1887—1948)
Born to a middle class family in Hanover, Schwitters suffered from epilepsy from early age but despite his condition he was enlisted in military service during WWI. He was employed as techinical draftsman in a factory: this opportunity started his fascination with machinery. In 1918 he got exposed to the Berlin avant-garde and international Dada movement and started finding his own expression transforming street rubbish into art. He collaborated with Hausmann and created his poems, the Ursonate. In 1923 he published the Dada Merz magazine and became close friend of van Doesburg and El Lizzitsky. In 1932 he joined the Abstraction-Création group. In 1937 he left for Norway to escape the imminent war and started a second Merzbau. 1940 he moved to the Isle of Man and from there to London. While the war was coming to its conclusion he suffered a stroke. He attempted a third series of Merzbau in the UK, but died before its completion.

Die Kathedrale

Die Silbergäule, vol. 41/42 / Illustrated book / 8 original lithographs / 14.2 x 22.2 cm / Hannover, 1920 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

La loterie du jardin zoologique

Illustrated book / 12.7 x 16.3 cm / Paris, 1951

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Merz 6

Imitatoren watch step! / Magazine / Letterpress / 14.3 x 22.3 cm / Hannover, 1923 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

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Merz-Werbe Drucksache

Envelope / 16.3 x 11.5 cm / Hannover, 1925 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 7

Tapsheft / Magazine / Letterpress / 23.6 x 31.3 cm / Hannover, 1924 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 24

Ursonate / Booklet / Letterpress / 14.2 x 20.6 cm / Hannover, 1932 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 11

Typoreklame / Booklet / Letterpress / 21.9 x 28.8 cm / Hannover, 1924 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

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Merz 8-9

Nasci / Magazine / Letterpress / 23.4 x 30.2 cm / Hannover, 1924 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Dada Tank

Journal / Letterpress / 23.4 x 31.3 cm / Zagreb, 1922 (2008)

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PIN and the story of PIN

Illustrated book / 17.2 x 23.6 cm / London, 1962 (1986)

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Dada Matinée

Original lithograph / 85 x 82 cm / 1923 (n.d.)

Sekunde durch Hirn

By Melchior Vischer / Book cover / 13.6 x 20.7 cm / Hannover, 1920 (1964)

Sturm Bilderbücher IV

Illustrated book / 22.3 x 28.7 cm / Berlin, 1920 (1975)

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Merz 20

Kurt Schwitters Katalog / Booklet / Letterpress / 15.9 x 24.5 cm / Hannover, 1927 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Der Zeltweg

Magazine / Letterpress / 31 x 21 cm / Paris, 1919 (1984)

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Memoiren Anna Blumes in Bleie

Illustrated book / 11 x 18 cm / Freiburg, 1922 (1964)

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Tank

Revue internationale de l'art vivant / Magazine / Letterpress / 16.8 x 24.7 cm / Ljubljana, 1927-1928 (1987)

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Die neue Gestaltung in der Typographie

Booklet / 10.5 x 14.7 cm / Hannover, 1930 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

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Manomètre

Mélange des langues, enregistre les idées, indique la pression sur tous les méridiens, est polyglotte et supranational / Magazine / 17.5 x 22.5 cm / Lyon, 1922-1928 (1977)

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Dammerstock

Catalogue / 29.7 x 21 cm / Karlsruhe, 1929 (1985)

De Branding

Exhibition catalogue / Letterpress / 21 x 29.7 cm / Rotterdam, 1922 (1985)

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Merz 4

Banalitäten / Magazine / Letterpress / 14.4 x 22.9 cm / Hannover, 1923 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Œsophage

Magazine / Letterpress / 22.4 x 28.4 cm / Bruxelles, 1925 (1993)

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Celler Volks-Möbel

Envelope / 21 x 29.7 cm / Berlin, 1930 (1985)

Merz 2

Nummer i / Magazine / Letterpress / 14.4 x 22.2 cm / Hannover, 1923 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 1

Holland Dada / Magazine / Letterpress / 14.3 x 21.9 cm / Hannover, 1923 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 21

Erstes Veilchenheft / Booklet / Letterpress / 31.7 x 21.1 cm / Hannover, 1931 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Die billige gute Wohnung

Envelope / 21 x 29.7 cm / Berlin, 1930 (1985)

Merz 18/19

Neue Architektur I, Ludwig Hilberseimer / Illustrated book / 14 x 25 cm / Hannover, 1925 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Merz 16-17

Die Märchen vom Paradies / Illustrated book / 20.8 x 26.8 cm / Hannover, 1924 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

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Merz 14-15

Die Scheuche: Märchen / Illustrated book / Letterpress / 24 x 20.4 cm / Hannover, 1925 (1975) / © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

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