The artwork titled “Course of the World,” created by Dieter Roth in 1970, falls under the Neo-Dada art movement and is classified as an installation. This composition exemplifies Roth’s innovative approach to art, blending elements of assemblage and unconventional materials, characteristic of the Neo-Dada ethos.
The artwork features an intriguing assemblage comprising two anthropomorphic figures, each resembling animals, intricately dressed with bow ties. These figures are enclosed within translucent material, most likely plastic, which encases the entire composition, providing a preserved, almost fossilized appearance. They are positioned within rectangular sections of cardboard, adding to the textured, rustic aesthetic of the piece. The juxtaposition of everyday, mundane materials with the whimsical, dressed-up figures captures a sense of playfulness and irony, resonating with the Neo-Dada movement’s challenge to traditional notions of art and materiality. The composition’s overall effect provokes contemplation on the interaction between the ephemeral and the enduring in the course of the world.
