What is Dadaism? This is a simple question with no simple answer. If you Google Dadaism art, you'll be lead to believe Dadaist art is collages that are made with browns and other muted colours - but that's wrong, and they are not summations of the artform. Dadaism has no pre-requisite colour palette, or aesthetic, or patterns. Those of us who've grown to associate Dadaism with a particular "look" have actually misunderstood the artform completely, because Dadaism got its genesis from art & social critics of 1910s Switzerland who wanted to challenge the division between what was & was not considered art. They imbued artistic meaning onto the artless: nonsensical dances, poems in gibberish, and seemingly tasteless art installations. The most famous and influential piece of Dadaist art is arguably this, a urinal with the words R. Mutt 1917 scribbled on it:

This is Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, the father of Dadaism.

When explaining the purpose of this to an exhibit, he explained it as "...everyday objects raised to the dignity of a work of art by the artist's act of choice."

Based on this, we can say Dadaism is both everything and nothing, and its artistic value lies in its lack of immediate recognition as having artistic value.

How do we make Dadaism into a Habbo outfit?

I'm of the belief that all art is valid. Anything you submit to me this week, I will accept it and judge it through a Dadaist lens. That's the easy part.

The hard part is making the outfit look good because, well, this is still a game of Project Runway after all. Your outfit needs to have a sense of belonging on a runway. To achieve this, your final presentation needs to be interesting to look at, but not too "random." Take my example photo at the top of the page: I put a tie overtop a yellow raincoat, which makes no sense, yet the final presentation (in my opinion) is really interesting. It's a nonsensical idea but it's done really well. Dadaism does not mean surreal or Avant Garde, although it can often have those elements. Dadaism is about imbuing artistic value onto inartistic items or ideas. You're not gonna survive this task just by hitting randomize and calling it a day, because that wouldn't have choice or intent.

Outfit advice this week will be very limited. You need to believe in your artistic vision, however curious it is, and I don't want to interfere with it.

The due date for this task is Saturday, March 9th at 8:00pm EST (1am GMT).

Good luck! And if you still need help understanding Dadaism, ask myself or icearbr.

Panel #5

This week's Dadaist theme was quite possibly the most difficult task I've ever done in a Snawlterm... and the eleven of you handled it like champs! Amid the confusion came 11 unique outfits that I had a blast judging. I reread my critiques for these outfits, and I noticed I am a bit more harsh this week than normal. Because this game's competition is so stiff, I have to judge very harshly and thus look for slack in the ropes even where it is minimal. Apologies in advance if I give the impression that I "hated" anybody's particular outfit, because I truly don't. We've reached the point in this competition where eliminations are less contingent of skill, and more on artistic vision and dumb luck. You are all equally good and have proven yourselves many times both in & out of this long-term. Eliminating any of you isn't going to be fun, but 10/11 of you will experience it eventually. We're here to find a winner, after all.

Arber (icearbr) is the person I know who understands these artsy tasks the best, and so it was only necessary to bring him to the panel.

Snawl: I've enjoyed this since you first submitted it, but it has time to really grow on me. First, it doesn't get much more Dadaist than this: an Egyptian sarcophagus mask, a cross of fabric, and a ring around the torso that I'm choosing to believe is made of ceramic or porcelain or plastic or anything that isn't literally an inflatable pool accessory. Second, I love how the palette is so in harmony across the board while the items & fabrics you've selected couldn't be at bigger odds with one another. Even the sandals which I didn't care for at first have made me appreciate the extra exposure of skin. This outfit illustrates that although Dadaism may be a foreign, pretentious sounding concept, it is actually alive & present in contemporary high-fashion already, and has been for decades. This outfit would not look out of place in an Avant Garde high-fashion runway show. This outfit is brilliant. Well done!

icearbr: It's giving monster fucker, it's giving extreme fetish. This is one of those custom-made monster penis dildos, like the penis of a dragon or an eldritch being and it comes with all the ridges and veins and of course with the knot. You can't forget that knot on the dick for the omegaverse fantasies you wanna reenact. I love this outfit, the composition and fluidity of the shape, the stunning graphics and palette and the breaks of black smudging it all together.

Zechariah (Herbymainsted)

Snawl: I've warmed up to this outfit a bit. I applaud you for making such a cohesive looking outfit from such antipodal items. The vest + scarf work great together while simultaneously contrasting the dress & ribbons, which in turn contrast the rubbery nylon hooded rain cap. There is a mosaic of diverse materials at use here. Sadly, one can argue that you succeeded too well with blending, as the outfit doesn't necessarily strike one as Dadaist until they hyperfixate on each individual fabric and take them into account. I wish you played with colours and didn't feel the need to make the final product so matchy-matchy. Imagine if the arm ribbons and foxtail were orange, and the dress were a muted burgundy? It would look messier for sure, but it would also let the variance in textures sing louder. On the topic of colour, 3/5 of your submissions in this game have been cutesy & predominately blue.
I know how good you are, and so I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say you're just being true to your-self, instead of the far more cynical conclusion that you're perhaps exhausted and out of ideas.

icearbr: The perfect outfit to hide all the guns, how American of you. Fuck body shape who needs it when it comes to the demands of the daddy (dada). It is not the strongest of the bunch but I can find things I like about this such as: the limited palette, the use of various textures, so many flappy bows and ties, the "I'm daddys little slut" shoes, etc.

jared (fierce.needles)

Snawl: This outfit is the nonsensical brand of high-art that tends to chase normal people away from high-fashion due to the perception of it being pretentious, inorganic, unwearable, etc...
AND I LOVE IT! Warping the wings with the pose so they flawlessly caress the sphere is a refreshing concept. The wings also block the breasts which tend to warp that top, so you're making the striped gown look longer and more consistent. This can be interpreted as a sort of podium for the pearl. What makes this outfit sing so loudly for me is the lack of clutter from unneeded accessories. No bulky belt to ruin the gown, no tacky earrings hanging from the sphere, no drooping scarf. You knew precisely what you needed to use and used nothing more. This is a testament that Dadaism can still be methodical, smart, and tasteful. I have nothing more to add, you crushed this task Joey. Excellent work.

icearbr: I didn't expect to see a lamp that's doing the dab this week but here we are. Dab your heart out little doorknob~ This is phenomenal work, the ways the shapes are shaping, the way the colors are colouring, the way the textures are texting. It's giving. I'm very good at critiques I know.

joey (jozinga)

Snawl: This is a really chic & stylistic adaptation of what Dadaism can provide to a runway show. The immediate draw is all in the head accessories, but for me, the real magic is on the upper body. There is something comically beautiful about a fluffy scarf draped over what looks like a long, rigid sheet of orange metal which I interpret is likely a reference to this iconic early Dadaist outfit. Then everything is flanked by this ethereal ice blue cape and the celestial underlayer. The hot pink on the heels is lovely and I'm glad it didn't reoccur elsewhere. If I'm forced to be critical, I suppose the overall colour palette is a bit matchy-matchy which I'm not entirely used to seeing in Dadaist fashion. Had the palette been a tad more jumbled and nonsensical, I think it would have actually helped the cause. This outfit, while absolutely gorgeous, does follow typical conventions of colour theory which on any other task is a massive advantage. Regardless, this is stunning and you should be proud.

icearbr: You really said fuck you to everything with this look. Nothing matches, nothing flows, the colours are so ugly and don't work together, the shapes are schizophrenic at best, the textures are all over the place, this literally looks like a confused AI art piece. I. Love. It. The more you look at it the more offended you get by this outfit. All the dark violets are done in completely different textures, the bronzes are so different from each other, the soft seafoam is clipping through everything and those fucking ugly pink shoes bitch what the hell????? We did not need all this but I'm glad we got it. Superb work!

mickey (player)

Snawl: While you succeeded in conveying your artistic vision seamlessly this week, I bear unfortunate news: The idea of designing a couture outfit out of human hair is hardly a new or groundbreaking idea in the world of high-fashion. The idea itself isn't Dadaism to me because wigs aren't inherently anti-art; there is an entire artistic industry (cosmetology) within fashion that is dedicated to it. As for your presentation, I can happily say the decision to obscure the model's face is quite Dadaist. I actually enjoy the yellow headband and the extra, lighter coloured ponytail draping down. The furlike texture from the vest works in your favour, and so does the towel gown. I enjoy how you kept the colour palette consisting of muted browns & cremes, as to not draw attention away from your central idea. There is technical craftsmanship on display in this submission that demonstrates your talent as a designer, for sure. I just wish you were better tuned in to this task's artistic frequency. Sorry, Chan.

icearbr: Ok work, your brain said make an outfit out of pubes and you acknowledged that thought. I do appreciate the initiative and even some details like the combo of hair, hair extension and the furry vest are adorable. The palette is controlled and the textures are flowing with the yellow/orange string details tying the whole outfit together. That being said I kinda wish you really went for it and made this fully hairy and disgusting. maybe keep all the hairs in the same color so all the different textures give you that uncanny aspect, idk this was the task for you to go unhinged with it. Needs more daring.

chan (chan.)

Snawl: This outfit has proven to be controversial because it divided my guest judge chat straight down the middle. Personally, I like it. Perhaps I'm just seeing what I want to see, but I look at this outfit and I am immediately reminded of this photo by Beksinski. The unnatural exposure of skin, and the way the accessories seem to hug the body all too intimately to the point where it evokes pain, to me, is really striking. The tail, heart decal, and back strap are a gorgeous combination. As much as I enjoy this outfit, I have to pay some credence to the critics. I wish you didn't use red because it makes this outfit look like a prototype for last task's Rihanna music video. You could have used a navy blue, a burnt orange, or quite literally anything else to differentiate this outfit from the previous task. Also I wish you took a bigger bite of the Dadaist apple because the idea of an exposed back would only sound provocative to an uptight conservative. However, perhaps the reason why this outfit may come across as pastiche of today's high-fashion is merely a testament to how integrated Dadaism truly is already. Decent work overall, but it could have been a lot better.

icearbr: Love how you had this prepared for last weeks Rihanna music video task and decided to use it now~ The way the shapes gives this almost organic flow is quite mesmerizing, I do wish you leaned more into that and fully gave us bodypaint with zero straps and gloves and whatnot, just embrace the nudity and the organic colors of black and red. It is sensual and cheeky which.. doesn't really fit dada, but overall this is neat to look at.

nicole (nicrobbo95)

Snawl: The elements of Dadaism on this outfit are extremely subtle, but they're definitely there. The main draw is the brown sweater's unnatural cut just shy of the shoulder. I seldom judge cosmetics but the decision to go bald strongly reinforces the boldness of this overall presentation. The bright grapefruit red on the shoes is something I would normally find distracting and akin to clown attire, and that aesthetic is only reinforced by the striped baggy chinos. In this specific instance, I actually really love it. All of these gaudy elements are coming together to harmonize. You have a very hard-to-notice ombre gradient happening with the blue colours, too. Taking a modernist, commercial approach to this task was not something I would have ever recommended, but I cannot reprimand you for it because you did it justly. I think this is the best thing you've designed in this competition, Sarah. Welcome back!

icearbr: Come thru genderfluid russian babushka going to the record store to buy some unhinged music. Work. Unlike the others you decided to showcase this task in a completely mundane and editorial fashion without a hint of a "centerpiece" item to highlight the outfit. And for some reason it works so well??? This outfit is chic and cool and so graphic. The ugly tobacco stain brown with that boring white cis-male toxic masculinity blue should not go together but you made it work so well especially combining it with the funky pants and homosexual shoes. You keeping it toned down made you stand out amongst the freaks around you and I applaud you for it.

sarah (sparkle)

elysse (lc22)

Snawl: Unfortunately, this outfit is a shining illustration that Dadaism and Avant Garde are not synonymous. This outfit is certainly bold, beautiful, daring, & high-fashion... but is it Dadaist? Not entirely, for my money. Perhaps the Indian royal gown's texture can be indicative of Dadaism, but I cannot credit you too much for that because A. it's a pre-designed pattern and B. you're covering most of it up. Besides that, the most eye-capturing element of this outfit are certainly the head accessories. They jump out at the viewer in a beautiful, chaotic explosion of colour and texture. But even then I would struggle to call it Dadaism. There is nothing anti-art or counter-intuitive about this outfit, it just looks like a brilliantly thought-out Avant Garde piece. It truly is gorgeous and I cannot stress that enough, and I want to see more outfits like this from not only you but everyone else. But again... is it Dadaism!? Not really, if I'm being completely fair. I still love this outfit, but for the wrong reasons. I'm sorry.

icearbr: So you said I am confused and I don't get this task so I'm gotta hit random and hope for the best. Love that actually! I do see the potential in this with all the almost antique vibe of jewelry splashed all over, the palette and of course the chaotic shapes. I think your problem here is that you tried too many perspectives and in the end they did not mash together, this needed a clearer point of view. Something like embracing the jewelry aspect and going to town with it all over, or the opposite of embracing the prolapstic fleshy orange eldritch shapes and make it go all over. Needs more editing.

Snawl: Given your propensity for detail, I'm assuming the mismatched, unflattering colour palette was a key component to your Dadaist vision. It works really well for me. The layers on the torso are a bit of a mindfuck because we know how prominently that train costume and camera protrude outward from the body. To see them flattened on a front-on perspective is a bit unsettling, and that uneasy feeling of not knowing what to make of it is really in tune with the task. The Mickey Mouse buttons being coloured purple to reinforce the camera's palette is a really cool detail. The camera itself throws some more intricate gray texture onto the train costume which already had some gray negative space. I certainly understand the purpose of the yellow rain boots for a Dadaist task, however I feel because the upper body is so unconventional, you could have actually gotten away with a more runway friendly choice of footwear. Overall though, solid work.

icearbr: So you decided to use pee and poo for your dada look? Groundbreaking. I actually like stuff about this outfit, the use of shiny plastic yellows, the tasteless dark grays coming in rigid and heavy shapes, the purple focal point etc. that being said I would've personally embraced the gray and used that more instead of the vanilla pale yellow and diarrhea brown there. it is unconventional and slightly uncanny and in a subjective task such as this i personally feel like this belongs quite well.

filip (lidl-wayne)

Snawl: I thoroughly enjoy this outfit from the top, down. I can make strong arguments for the presence of Dadaism in both the colours and textures and how their seemingly at odds with each other nature helps ground the outfit. The brown fur and the subsequent dark purple frame you built around it works extremely well. Once you get to the red necklace however, and everything above it, things go haywire. The upper three accessories are really ugly, and not in that fierce pretty/ugly boundary pushing Dadaist manner, but ugly in the sense that I wanna stop looking and scroll down. Perhaps there is an argument to be made about evoking such a response on a Dadaist task being quintessential Dadaism? I'm certainly interested in having that argument, but my biggest rebuttal is that a Project Runway outfit should never make me wanna look away. Had the upper accessories been incorporated better I perhaps could appreciate them in a mad genius sort of way. But instead they just sit atop the presentation, punishing my eyes every time I look back at your submission.

icearbr: I love the two logs of shit you decided to glue on your back this week. Then to fully highlight the logs you decided to embellish your outfit in these gorgeous romantic dark fantasy tones just to say this isn't just any shit, this is dada shit. I can't get over how gorgeous the outfit is as long as I don't look at the head. Cuz honey.. that head is.... a choice. I don't mind the actual hat and green face, they contrast the outfit nicely, what I'm furious about is that fucking necklace. why the fuck did you add red to this its a criminal i hate the red with this palette its too much its ugly its annoying GET IT OFF REEEEEEE

ashlyn (ramonda)

Snawl: There is a tackiness to this outfit I really enjoy; the parallel + perpendicular bright lines on top of the white reads early 2000s mall food court in a Southeast Asian country. Then of course there's the television set, whose inclusion I fully understand is necessary for the Dadaist element this week. However, I feel Dadaism could have been worked into this outfit in a far more thorough and ground-breaking way than just plunking a quirky head accessory on top. If anything, it helps sell the Y2K aesthetic you may or may not have been going for. Looking at this outfit immediately puts Video Killed The Radio Star playing in my head. I wanna close my laptop and redownload GTA: Vice City thanks to this outfit. For criticisms, I feel that belt & gym shorts combo is really tired. I understand pants and belts have slim pickings, especially with male avatars, but I feel there still could be a bit more of an original flare happening down there. There is a disconnect of quality and ingenuity between it and the far more deft geometry on the top half. Ultimately you succeeded with Dadaism, but I feel you locked yourself into a rigid presentation with this outfit's concept.

icearbr: This certainly is an outfit. Yes. Hmm. You also certainly did try! A good attempt. Very effort. Too bad I don't see dada in this at all. It's more memphis design 80s mall core then actual dada. So thematically you are lacking a lot . That being said this outfit in general is fine. The palette is whimsical and the pattern is repeated throughout. Do I love it? no. Do I hate it? not at all. It's perfectly mid tier to me~

Chris (doglover)

Conclusion

As fun as this week was, I for one am eager to move the hell on.

The winner of this task is the person whose outfit was minimal in terms of quantity of items used, but loud with style and provocation. Congratulations goes to Joey (Jozinga)! Rounding out the Top 3 are Zechariah (HerbyMainsted) & Sarah (Sparkle) finishing 2nd & 3rd, respectively.

Bottom Three

Ashlyn (Ramonda) - You actually understood the task quite well. Sadly, your final product is very unpolished and galling. I really wish you asked me for outfit advice, as I would have certainly helped to prevent this.

Jared (Fierce.Needles) - Despite having moderate elements of Dadaism come through visually, I feel your outfit missed the point by being too put-together and matching. I have also grown tired of your submissions being in the same vein.

Elysse (LC22) - Despite having one of the most gorgeous outfits I've seen so far in this competition, calling it Dadaism is a very generous leap.

The person ELIMINATED is . . . . .
(Highlight text to reveal)

Ashlyn (Ramonda). This decision hurts me, as I feel you were robbed in FreshFaces S2 and I was really excited to platform you and show off your new found versatility. Sadly, this task's brash nature simply got the better of you. Knowing you, this elimination isn't going to ruin your self-esteem. You achieved some greatness in these five tasks, particularly your Week 1 look that I sometimes find myself going back to and admiring. Thank you for allowing me to have you, and for always being such a good sport. Your designs will be missed.

Congratulations, final ten! 1/3rd of the original cast had been axed. All ten of you have had moments of greatness in this game, so it is important to know that track record means zilch. Your victories of yesterday will not protect you of the mistakes you may make tomorrow.

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Task #5

Taking The Piss w/ Anti-Art

Snawl

icearbr