Tzara Manifestos Post - Merchant

Tristan Tzara published the Seven Dada Manifestos in 1924, and it seems from his writing that he wanted to explain to the world all that Dadaism encompasses.  Credited with being one of the founders of the Dada movement, Tzara tries to translate to society what this movement is and from where did it arise.  While trying to accomplish this goal, Tzara often writes in paradoxes. I think he has adopted this style of writing to emphasize that Dada can not be explained—in trying to define what Dadaism is he ends up concluding that Dada cannot be defined—which is a paradox in itself.  Tzara says in his second manifesto:

I write a manifesto and I want nothing, yet I say certain things and in principle I am against manifestos, as I am also against principles (half-pints to measure the moral value of every phrase too too convenient; approximation was invented by impressionists).

He says he is writing a manifesto, even though “in principle” he is against manifestos while being against principles altogether. He is trying to make a point here that Dadaists like himself do not like to be conformed to the traditional conventions of society where actions are governed by principles. He makes the point that he is writing this manifesto—which is defined as a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization (Dictionary.com)—to declare that Dada has no opinions or objectives and those that practice it do it to pursue independence and freedom. 

He also states in the same passage: “I write this manifesto to show that people can perform contrary actions together while taking one fresh gulp of air” where he is illustrating how this group is coming together by rejecting conformity and performing actions together as one movement whereas further down in the same manifesto Tzara says “And so Dada was born of a need for independence, of a distrust toward unity.” That is perfect example of how Tzara presents the paradoxical nature of the entire Dadaist movement. All of the artists that are part of the movement have joined it to reject “conformity” but in doing so they have conformed to the commonalities of Dadaism. He says that this movement was born out of distrust for unity but shows that within the Dada movement people are “performing contrary actions together” (Tzara p.76) which is exactly what unity means.

Tzara continues this paradoxical nature in his writing throughout all of his manifestos to again illustrate his points that Dadaism cannot be explained in simple terms and that in trying to define this movement is defeating the entire purpose of the Dadaists. He tries to relay the intentions of the Dadaists through these manifestos but shows that there is no path or logic involved and that it cannot be contained or defined for if it were defined and explained then that would defeat the entire Dada movement.