''Ça ira'' was the Belgian monthly magazine that featured avant-garde art, literature and politics.

History and profile

''Ça Ira'' was founded by a

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

of young artists, who came out of the smoking war-wrecked world of 1919 with a new élan. The title ''Ça ira'' comes from a song of the French Revolution ( article in French, translated as: "We will win!"). Twenty editions were published in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

from April 1920 to January 1923. The members (many of whom later achieved great fame and notoriety) included Paul Colin,

Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg (; born Christian Emil Marie Küpper; 30 August 1883 – 7 March 1931) was a Dutch painter, writer, poet and architect. He is best known as the founder and leader of De Stijl. He married three times. Personal life Theo van Do ...

, the young artist Maurice van Essche who was the leader of the group, Abel Lurkin, Paul Neuhuys, Arthur Pétronio,

Charles Plisnier Charles Plisnier (13 December 1896 – 17 July 1952) was a Belgian writer from Wallonia. Biography Training as a lawyer at the Free University of Brussels from 1919, Plisnier became a Doctor of Law at the court of appeal of Brussels in 1 ...

, Han Ryner, while very appealing

dada Dada () or Dadaism was an anti-establishment art movement that developed in 1915 in the context of the Great War and the earlier anti-art movement. Early centers for dadaism included Zürich and Berlin. Within a few years, the movement had s ...

and

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

woodcuts and linos were added by

Floris Jespers Floris Jespers (18 March 1889 in Borgerhout – 16 April 1965 in Antwerp) was a Belgian Avant-garde painter. After his graduation from the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, he hooked up with the poet Paul Van Ostaijen and joined the Antwerp avant- ...

, Paul Joostens,

Frans Masereel Frans Masereel (31 July 1889 – 3 January 1972) was a Belgium, Belgian painter and graphic artist who worked mainly in France. He is known especially for his woodcuts which focused on political and social issues, such as war and capitalism. He ...

, Jan Cockx, Jozef Cantré, Karel Maes and Jozef Peeters. One finds incidental contributions by

Paul Van Ostaijen Paul van Ostaijen (22 February 1896 – 18 March 1928) was a Belgian Dutch-language poet and writer. Nickname Van Ostaijen was born in Antwerp to Dutch father and Flemish mother. His nickname was ''Mister 1830'', derived from his habit of walk ...

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

Francis Picabia Francis Picabia (: born Francis-Marie Martinez de Picabia; 22January 1879 – 30November 1953) was a French avant-garde painter, writer, filmmaker, magazine publisher, poet, and typography, typographist closely associated with Dada. When consid ...

, Pound, Iwan Goll,

Blaise Cendrars Frédéric-Louis Sauser (1 September 1887 – 21 January 1961), better known as Blaise Cendrars (), was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the European ...

and Kassak.

References

1920 establishments in Belgium 1923 disestablishments in Belgium Avant-garde magazines Defunct literary magazines published in Europe Defunct magazines published in Belgium Defunct political magazines Defunct French-language magazines Magazines established in 1920 Magazines disestablished in 1923 Mass media in Antwerp Monthly magazines published in Belgium Defunct visual arts magazines French-language magazines published in Belgium {{Europe-poli-mag-stub

History and profile

See also

References