Ein schwarz-weißes Foto zeigt ein Theater in der Nacht. Seine Fassade ist belichtet durch Laterne. 
© Archiv der Avantgarden - Egidio Marzona, SKD

Modern Times. The American Dream and the Avant-Gardes of the 1920s

Parallel to the avant-garde movements in Europe in the 1920s, unprecedented economic prosperity developed in the United States. In Europe at the time, ‘America’ was a cultural concept that stood for an urban lifestyle, efficient labour systems and low-threshold entertainment. The ‘Made in America’ label permeated all areas of life and defined what it meant to be modern.

  • DATES 11/04/2025—10/08/2025
  • Opening Hours Tuesday to Friday 15—19 Saturday to Sunday 11—18 20/04/2025 11—18 (Easter Sunday) 21/04/2025 11—18 (Easter Monday)
  • Admission Fees normal 5 €, reduced 3 €, under 17 free
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Das Archiv der Avantgarden – Egidio Marzona (ADA)

Conversely, European art and its new movements, such as Dadaism, Futurism and Constructivism, attracted a great deal of attention in the USA. The American public learnt about these through magazines such as The Little Review or exhibitions by the artist group Société Anonyme Inc.

By also designing magazines, books and posters, artists were able to circulate their motifs and themes internationally in the form of reproductions. One example of this is Fernand Léger's depictions of Charlie Chaplin, which first appeared in the book Die Chapliniade by Ivan Goll, published in Dresden in 1920.

Eine Darstellung von Charlie Chaplin aus schwarz-weißen geometrischen Figuren
© Archiv der Avantgarden - Egidio Marzona, SKD, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025
Fernand Léger, Charlot Cubiste, Illustration aus: Iwan Goll, Die Chapliniade. Eine Kinodichtung Dresden: Rudolf Kaemmerer Verlag, 1920

Das Archiv der Avantgarden – Egidio Marzona widmet

The Archiv der Avantgarden - Egidio Marzona is dedicating a comprehensive exhibition to the transatlantic exchange between the European avant-garde and US popular culture. Modern Times sheds light on the fascination with the American lifestyle, for example through phenomena such as jazz and Hollywood, but also shows critical voices on capitalist forms of production such as Taylorism and Fordism. 

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