Dada Movement (Mouvement Dada)

1915–1917

Leading New York Dada with Duchamp

Throughout his three years in New York Picabia mixed closely with avant-garde artists and, together with Marcel Duchamp, headed the New York section of the Dada movement.

c. 1919

Treatment in Zürich and meeting Tzara

While seeking treatment in Zürich for depression and suicidal impulses, Picabia met Tristan Tzara, whose radical ideas thrilled him. Back in Paris with his mistress Germaine Everling, he found himself among the Dadaists — Breton, Éluard, Soupault and Aragon, who met at Certa, a Basque bar.

15 September 1919

Son born: Vincent Martinez-Picabia

1920

Edits the magazine Cannibale

In 1920 Picabia edited the magazine Cannibale, even more radical than his own review 391.

1920

Mocks Satie, then makes peace with him

In Paris, battling Jean Cocteau's “clique” alongside André Breton, Picabia mocked Satie in the Dada poem “Auric Satie à la noix de Cocteau”. A few months later he sent the composer a letter full of sympathy, and soon Satie printed two aphorisms in huge letters on the front page of 391.

1921

Renounces Dada

In 1921, having developed an interest in Surrealism, Picabia publicly denounced Dada. Of his changes of course he wrote: “If you want to have clean ideas, change them like shirts.”