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All the United Kingdom England Cumbria Merzbarn

Merzbarn

The sculptural remains of the last home of a legendary Dada artist.

Cumbria, England

Added By
Allison Meier
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Merzbarn   merzbarn.net
Merzbarn   merzbarn.net
Kurt Schwitters’ wall installation before its removal   merzbarn.net
Merz Barn Internal   Jeffwraithes2 / Atlas Obscura User
Merz Barn and Glass House   Jeffwraithes2 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Out in the lush hills of the Lake District are the remains of the last artistic creation of a Dadaist legend.

Kurt Schwitters was a German-born artist who, having been labeled a degenerate, fled the Nazis in 1937 and ended up in England. He'd left behind his Merzbau, originally called the Cathedral of Erotic Misery, in his hometown of Hanover. The eight-room evolving installation in his home was destroyed by Allied bombing. The avant-garde artist continued to make his "Merz" structures, the prefix he attached to much of his collage-based art, the rest of his life.

Although the Merzbarn in England was never completed, he did finish a stunning wall installation. This was removed for preservation in the 1960s by artist Richard Hamilton, and it's been kept to this day by the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle. The stone Merzbarn itself is managed by the Littoral Arts Trust, although unfortunately has had much of its funding recently cut. While there are contemporary artists actively interested in the preservation of the site, and artists like Elizabeth Shorrock and Bruce Ingram have created installations on site, its future remains uncertain. 

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Intriguing Environs Art Houses Ecosystems Homes

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It's located opposite the Langdale Hotel & Spa. It is advertised as being open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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Added By

Allison

Edited By

Jeffwraithes2

  • Jeffwraithes2

Published

June 12, 2013

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Sources
  • http://www.creativetourist.com/articles/art/cumbria/kurt-schwitters-the-merzbarn/
  • http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/oct/19/merz-barn-faces-closure-schwitters
Merzbarn
B5343
Cumbria, England, LA22 9JB
United Kingdom
54.437635, -3.037335
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Nearby Places

Dove Cottage

Grasmere, England

miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cumbria

Cumbria

England

Places 10
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Dove Cottage

Grasmere, England

miles away

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miles away

William Wordsworth's School Desk Carving

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cumbria

Cumbria

England

Places 10
Stories 1

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