Serge Charchoune, a visual artist and author, hailing from Russia in 1888, but eventually settling in France, where his life journey reached its conclusion in 1975. Charchoune’s pursuit of artistic expression led him to Paris, where he found solace after deserting from the Russian army in 1912. Initially drawn to Cubism, he soon became infatuated with Dadaism, after connecting with renowned figures such as André Breton, Max Ernst, Tristan Tzara, and Francis Picabia upon his return from seeking refuge in Barcelona during World War I. While his attempt at establishing his own Dada movement in Paris proved futile, Charchoune’s lasting contribution to the movement remains his poem Foule immobile, translated from Russian to French with the assistance of Philippe Soupault. This dadaist masterpiece, titled Foule immobile, comprised of 9 rounds for 25 voices, embodies the radical spirit of the movement. As described by Felix Philipp Ingold in his introduction to the work, it bears resemblance to the early surrealist experiment of cadavre exquis. Illustrated by Charchoune himself, the poem was first published in 1921; however, despite its intended purpose of being sung, it was never performed. In 1922, Charchoune embarked on a trip to Berlin with the intent of returning to his home country, Russia. In the German capital, he established his own Dada group, held an exhibition at Herwarth Walden’s Der Sturm gallery, and met fellow artists Theo van Doesburg and El Lissitzky. However, there is no evidence of his involvement with the radical Berlin dadaists of that time. Disgusted by the stories of the atrocities of the Russian Revolution, Charchoune chose to make a comeback to Paris in 1923. There, he charted his own artistic course, drawing inspiration from Dadaism, Surrealism, and Constructivism, culminating in the publication of forty books between 1924 and 1975, the year of his passing.
www.ftn-books.com has Charcoune titles available
