Make Way for Cabaret!
“While feathers make plumage, glue does not make collage.”
— Max Ernst
For the festival’s 6th edition, we wanted to get back to the basics of cabaret: numbers that are planned but not over-prepared, artists with a sense of timing, a cheeky master of ceremonies, and a contact with the public. In so doing, we revisited the sources of our inspiration, the Dada and Surrealist movements.
These movements have left their mark on the history of art; even if, in retrospect, some assertions have made us smile or grind our teeth, Phénomena still likes to associate with these artists. In a way, Dadaism represents the beginnings of interdisciplinary performance. Beyond their revolt and protests, Dadaists questioned the notion of beauty and helped give rise to several forms of expression, including a relationship to materials via collage and photomontage.
Over the past six years, Phénomena has developed a singular, fanciful visual signature. D. Kimm is a collector of images, and together with our talented (and patient!) graphic designer Luc Beauchemin, she created the extravagant Baroque aesthetic that has become our trademark. For that, we must thank Max Ernst, Raoul Hausmann, Hannah Höch, and all the other “image thieves” who paved the way to visual freedom, imagination, accident, and imperfection.