Dada died in 1924 with the surrealism’s manifesto. But in fact, even if this movement did not last for a long period and even if dada’s investigators had no credibility (their contemporary artists regarded those as agitator without future) Dada is one of the most important movements because it had inspired and impacted the history of art of the 20th century. Artists use humor, derision and provocation to denounce some points, they still want to desacralized art and keep criticizing its commercialization. Each of these points comes from Dada. All the most innovated or protested movements owed something to Dada. But how and in what way does Dada’s spirit keeps influencing current art?

Indeed social, politic and artistic demands are still alive in some current artistic movements. In addition to the will to change art, to change its preconceived rules, notably with provocation is more than ever alive and well. To answer this question in this research presentation, I will focus my studies on Maurizio Cattelan. Like Dadaists, he loves provocations, for example he loves bringing his double for his interviews. Provocation or humor? These two concepts belong to Dada.

Main artist of modern art, Maurizio Cattelan was born in Italy in 1960. He lives and works in New York, and he is the most collected artist of the moment, he lives thanks to his artwork. This is paradoxical because he is following the Dadaism creed because he critics art and its commercialization. In 1994, in order to critic this art’s aspect, he forced Emmanuel Perrotin, the famous art gallery’s owner to wear a rabbit penis costume for five weeks. This performance was called “Errotin the real Rabbit”.

The grotesque nature of this reminds us of some Dadaism representations, especially happening during some dada’s parties. It was during those parties that Dadaist artist realized how the greatness of spontaneity and the use of “aggressions critinisante” can allow and create a huge exchange