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Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2007/01/26/archi_arts_delirium

January 26, 2007 > News > Dadaism inspires Archi-Arts

Dadaism inspires Archi-Arts

By Jennifer Luo | For the Thresher

With the upcoming Archi-Arts, party lovers can look forward to a whimsically planned gala in the spirit of Dada — but hopefully no one will come dressed as a urinal.

Archi-Arts, an annual party hosted by sophomore architecture majors, will be held Feb. 9 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Meridian, a downtown venue on the corner of Bell Street and Chartres Street.

“This should at least be one of the best, if not the best, party of the year,” Hanszen College sophomore Sanket Shah, who helped plan the party, said.

The costume party, which usually takes place in hipster-friendly venues, will have a “Delirious” theme this year. Organizers chose the theme to reflect the Dada movement of the early 20th century. It calls for whimsical and surreal costumes.

“You could come covered in Post-It notes,” Shah said. “Pretty much anything in the spirit of Dada, anything out of the ordinary or illogical, is what we’re looking for.”

Hugo Ball, one of the founders of Dadaism, chose the name of the movement by selecting a word at random from a dictionary. He wrote a famous Dada poem containing nonsensical words. Marchel Duchamp, another artist of the movement, submitted a urinal to an art exhibition after entitling it “Fountain.”

The theme “Delirious” was inspired by the book Delirious New York, written by the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

Last year, 400 people attended the masquerade-themed party. This year, organizers are expecting at least the same number of people.

Archi-Arts usually costs about $3,000, but this year’s venue has raised the price tag to about $4,000. The party is one of the many fundraisers architecture students have each year to support their annual trip to Paris in the spring.

“The Archi-Arts Party is usually one of the more fun parties at Rice,” Sid Richardson College senior Mike Vick said. “They always have a mixture of people dressed up really nice and people who are dressed in ridiculously creative costumes.”

Snacks and beverages will be provided at the event. Ticket will cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The tickets will be sold Feb. 2-9 at each college commons. T-shirts, designed by architecture students, will cost $10 each.

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