The tiny artworks include sculptures smaller than 1.5” x 1.5” and pictures/paintings smaller than 3” x 3”. The entire show is small enough to fit in a carry-on suitcase, referencing the great Dada artist Marcel Duchamp’s artwork Boîte-en-valise ( “box in a suitcase”), which featured a rectangular carry case that unfolded to reveal a mini museum containing 79 tiny replicas of his most famous works.

The concept is to create experiences and “happenings” for people. Artists in the show have also created small limited series of the work they made for the show, which are available for sale for people who simply LOVE the work and want a memento when the tour is complete! At the end of a year-long run of the Fake Gallery Dada Tiny Art Show + World Tour, we will produce a tiny 4x4 inch Art Book and a short film documenting and commemorating the project.

I’m deeply inspired by the Dada movement and its goals of whimsy, chance, spontaneity, irreverence, artistic freedom, and abandoning established artistic norms, thumbing its nose at the gatekeepers of the art world. As the first conceptual art movement, Dada aimed to challenge traditional art, the role of the artists, and societal issues and is extremely relevant today. The world is in a terrible crisis and if nothing else I hope people everywhere will appreciate a little humour and irreverence.

The idea for the project grew out of my recent artist residency, where I found immense support and inspiration from a broad range of artists. It also stems from my desire to give back to the artistic community, foster mutual support, and share knowledge. A particular conversation with a photographer at the residency, who lamented the obsession with larger artworks and the difficulty new artists face in gaining exposure, sparked the idea of creating a project to champion simplicity and collaboration. In a Parisian cafe with tiny holes in the walls, I envisioned curating a Dada-inspired show of tiny works that could pop up in unexpected places, spreading joy in a troubled world.

Guerrilla exhibitions will happen in parks and right on the streets. “Galleries” will be created in garages and home offices. We will “busk” outside of major art fairs where the art crowd is, and also set the show up in people's homes, like a Tupperware Party or Book Club. The art will come to the people, instead of making them go to the art — because sometimes people find galleries inaccessible or just too intimidating.

Allison Beda - Creative Director/Curator - Fake Gallery