Dragan Aleksić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Алексић, 22 December 1901 – 22 July 1958) was a Serbian Dadaist poet, author, journalist and filmmaker. He was the founder of the Yugoslavian branch of Dadaism, termed "Yugo-Dada".
Born in a village in the region of Lika, Aleksić first published his poetry in several Zagreb-based youth magazines. During his year of studies in Prague in 1920, he came into contact with then leading European Dadaists such as Kurt Schwitters and Tristan Tzara.
In 1921, he met with Branko Ve Poljanski, the brother of Zenitist leader Ljubomir Micić, and collaborated with the two on several projects for a year. After his personal and artistic break with Poljanski in 1922, Aleksić published the two single issue Dadaist publications Dada Tank and Dada Jazz in Zagreb, while Poljanski published a parody of Dada called Dada-Jok. Aleksić gathered a circle of Dadaists with whom he participated in several "Dadaist Matinées".
In late 1922, he left for Belgrade where he edited the culture section in the magazine Vreme. Several side projects at the time include the lost film Kačaci u Topčideru, an American burlesque he recorded with Boško Tokin in 1924 and poetry he published in Monny de Boully's almanach Crno na belo.
During the occupation of Yugoslavia in World War II, Aleksić continued editing the culture section in the now collaborationist Novo Vreme. He was arrested by mistake and suffered a crippling back injury, leaving him bedridden until his death in 1958.
Early life
Dragan Aleksić was born in Bunić near Korenica on 22 December 1901. He attended the gymnasium in Vinkovci, during which he first published his poetry in the Zagreb-based youth magazine Omladina in 1918, and in several other Croatian magazines during 1919.
Studies in Prague
In October 1920, Aleksić enrolled at a Slavic languages program in Prague. There, he organized an event for several of his acquaintances, presenting his invention of "organic art" - orgart. After the event, he was informed of the Dada movement by one of his guests and came into contact with a member of the avant-garde theater group Revoluční scéna (The Revolutionary Scene).
Soon after, he came into contact with leading European Dadaists such as Kurt Schwitters, Raoul Hausmann, Walter Mehring, Richard Huelsenbeck, Max Ernst and Tristan Tzara. The Dadaists were given a translation of Aleksić's presentation of "orgart", to which they reacted positively, accepting it as a part of Dada.
After hearing of Aleksić, Branko Ve Poljanski left the art and theater scene in Slovenia and traveled to Prague via Vienna in April 1921 to meet with him. Together, they held a Dadaist event in Prague to public outcry, visited Lajos Kassák in Vienna, before settling in Zagreb where they collaborated on an early Yugoslav film magazine, Kinofon. Because of an administrative issue, Aleksić discontinued his studies in Prague after the summer of 1921.
Collaboration with Zenit
Aleksić started publishing his poems in collaboration with Ljubomir Micić's avant-garde magazine Zenit. Despite initially dismissing the Dada movement in the 2nd issue of the magazine in March 1921, the following April issue contained an article by Dragan Aleksić written from Prague, as well as two of his Dadaist poems. Up to and including the 13th issue of Zenit, Aleksić's reviews and poems appeared in the magazine regularly.
Concurrent with his work with Zenit, he established a "purebred troop" of Dadaists, intending to develop the group into a movement. Aleksić notified Tzara of these developments in May 1922. Members of the troop included: Dragan Sremac, Vido Lastov, Slavko Stanić (Šlezinger), Mihailo S. Petrov, Antun Tuna Milinković (Fer Mill).
However, there was an abrupt break with Zenit in May 1922. The final words of the 14th issue announced the excommunication of Aleksić from the Zenitist circle, as well as the author Mihailo S. Petrov, also a regular contributor in the early issues of the magazine. The same issue announced an upcoming single issue periodical titled Dada-Jok, edited by Poljanski and parodying Dadaism.
Dadaist activities
Aleksić organized several "Dadaist Matinées" during 1922. The first of these was organized in Novi Sad in June 1922, with the help of several Hungarian activists. Tzara was informed of these events via mail on 14 May 1922.
In response to the initial strikes by the Zenitists, Aleksić published two of his own single issue publications in Zagreb – Dada Tank in June and Dada Jazz in September 1922.