Marcel Janco Romanian and Israeli artist, architect and art theorist. Date of Birth: 24.05.1895 Country: Israel

1. Biography of Marcel Janco
2. Early Life and Education
3. Conflict and Return to Bucharest
4. Move to Israel and Later Life
5. Ein Hod and Legacy

Biography of Marcel Janco

Marcel Janco was a Romanian-Israeli artist, architect, and art theorist. He was one of the founders of Dadaism and a leading figure of Constructivism in Eastern Europe. Born on May 24, 1895, in Bucharest, Marcel Janco belonged to an affluent Jewish family. He was the eldest of four children. Janco's childhood was marked by a privileged upbringing and a strong emphasis on education and cultural enlightenment. His mother possessed genuine musical talent, while his father, a stern businessman, created a conducive environment for the development of his artistic abilities.

Early Life and Education

Marcel Janco combined his schooling with drawing lessons from Romanian artist and caricaturist Iosif Iser. During his youth, Janco traveled extensively with his family to Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands. In 1916, after completing his studies in Zurich, Janco, along with like-minded individuals, founded Dadaism, a new movement in literature and painting aimed at influencing cultural figures.

Conflict and Return to Bucharest

In the following years, Janco became increasingly dissatisfied with Tristan Tzara's nihilism and attempted to align Dadaism with his own vision. In 1921, Marcel Janco arrived in Paris in an unsuccessful attempt to convince his colleagues of the value of Dadaism. The French perceived his style as a form of Jewish mysticism, Cabala, which was deemed unnatural by contemporary French minds. After a year, Janco returned to Bucharest where he became the founder of the first modernist movement in his homeland and published the journal "Contimporanul." Alongside his brother, Marcel Janco managed an architectural bureau and designed houses. Despite his architectural pursuits, Janco never ceased his interest in painting and held his first exhibition in Bucharest. In the 1930s, his art was strongly influenced by Cubism and Constructivism.

Move to Israel and Later Life

Marcel Janco and his family faced rising anti-Semitism and fascist movements such as the "Iron Guard" in Romania. Following the first wave of pogroms against Romanian Jews, he and his close ones relocated to Israel. In the 1950s, Janco became one of the founders of "Ofakim Hadashim" (New Horizons), a group of Israeli artists aspiring towards abstract art. For seventeen years, he taught at the Seminar HaKibbutzim college.

Ein Hod and Legacy

In 1953, Marcel Janco proposed the construction of the "utopian colony" of Ein Hod for a group of artists and sculptors organized by him. He himself settled in this place situated south of Mount Carmel in Israel. After some time, a Central Art Gallery was established in the communal settlement. Janco referred to Ein Hod as the last project in the spirit of Dadaism. Marcel Janco passed away on April 21, 1984, leaving behind a significant legacy as a prominent Jewish-Romanian intellectual of his generation. He was honored with the Dizengoff Prize and the Israel Prize.