Will you come to the nonsense party?
Absurdism, Anarchy, Dada and Robert Ebeneezer Froggus
On Friday night I helped orchestrate one of the strangest, most absurd and most entertaining events of my life. The art gallery where I work currently has a massive exhibition on all about birds. It contains photos and paintings of birds, ceramics of birds, sculptures of birds, videos of birds, you name it. We host multiple events to celebrate this exhibition during the summer break, and for this particular one we brought in two local theatre groups to lead an all-ages bird improvisational workshop. Beak Out with Avian Improv, we called it.
The goal was to have everyone in the gallery fully acting like birds for at least an hour, and on Friday at 6pm as the cacophony of bird sounds echoed through the rafters and streets of Maitland, and feather-adorned children (and adults!) flapped their wings throughout the gallery, all seemed good and right with the world. Avian Improv, while not for everyone, spoke loudly and hawkishly to those who heard the birdcall.
The older I get, the more I crave nonsense. A few weeks ago I wrote about why I love the film I Heart Huckabees, in part because it’s absolutely ridiculous. Let’s all explore ridiculousness more thoroughly.
Years ago a group of anarchist friends of mine (and a few anarchy-curious) went to the pub. It was here the articulate and attention-commanding environmentalist and talented writer George Woods explained to us all the concept of Dadaism, much to our delight and amusement.
Dadaism is, according to AI, an art movement that began in Zurich during World War I. It was a reaction to the war's horrors and a rejection of traditional art values. Dada artists sought to create new art that was shocking, confusing, and outrageous.
It was started by a German writer named Hugo Ball (appropriate name!) and it began as a performance-based expression, but eventually moved on to all fine art forms. I don’t know enough about it, but this is my year to explore it. I’m just gonna pull a few lines from Wikipedia to give you a little bit more of a taste.
”Many Dadaists believed that the 'reason' and 'logic' of bourgeois capitalist society had led people into war. They expressed their rejection of that ideology in artistic expression that appeared to reject logic and embrace chaos and irrationality.[7][8] For example, George Grosz later recalled that his Dadaist art was intended as a protest "against this world of mutual destruction".[7]
According to Hans Richter Dada was not art: it was "anti-art".[22] Dada represented the opposite of everything which art stood for. Where art was concerned with traditional aesthetics, Dada ignored aesthetics. If art was to appeal to sensibilities, Dada was intended to offend.
Additionally, Dada attempted to reflect onto human perception and the chaotic nature of society. Tristan Tzara proclaimed, "Everything is Dada, too. Beware of Dada. Anti-dadaism is a disease: selfkleptomania, man's normal condition, is Dada. But the real Dadas are against Dada".[24]”
In 2025 headlines flash and my heart crashes at every dystopian thing happening in the world at the moment. I wonder if nonsense is the way. Postmodernism* as a positive force is hotly debated. I’m not a big fan of postmodernism (I believe in science and universal truth), but I do wonder what would happen if we fought these post-truth, bizarre leaders with legitimate absurdism. The only way to fight maniacs with bad intentions is to alternatively become well-intentioned maniacs ourselves.
I’m dreaming up ways to be more nonsensical in 2025, starting with a nonsense party. I have decided some attendees can be naked, but not everyone because then it makes sense. My partner said that all food needs to be in the shape of an ear, the décor will be screwdrivers and nail clippers, and we can all introduce ourselves with nonsense names. (He will be Robert Ebeneezer Froggus.) As we discussed these ideas and I started genuinely planning it, he lectured me.
“Alex, you’re not taking nonsense seriously!”
I’ve secured some local wine called “Lunatiq;” the French ending makes crazy sound sexy. And, I’m writing a poem about the silly military (the sillitary?) Stay tuned for that. Please send me your ideas for the nonsense party. I am all ears.
*Postmodernism, according to Britannica states: Many postmodernists hold one or more of the following views: (1) there is no objective reality; (2) there is no scientific or historical truth (objective truth); (3) science and technology (and even reason and logic) are not vehicles of human progress but suspect instruments of established power; (4) reason and logic are not universally valid; (5) there is no such thing as human nature (human behavior and psychology are socially determined or constructed); (6) language does not refer to a reality outside itself; (7) there is no certain knowledge; and (8) no general theory of the natural or social world can be valid or true (all are illegitimate “metanarratives”).
PS how hilarious that I’m going to such an “objective” source to define post modernism, ha!
PPS here is a video from bird night ahahaha
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