One hundred years ago, nations across the world clashed in a conflict that became known as the Great War.
The University is recognizing the centennial anniversary of the beginning of World War I with a commemoration spanning the 2014-15 academic year, according to a press release.
Titled “1914-2014: The Great War and Its Legacy for Today’s World,” the events will involve a collaboration between several schools.
WWI began in 1914 with the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States became involved in the conflict in 1917.
Although a century has passed since the start of the clash, the effects of WWI still linger in contemporary European society, said Edward Linenthal, a professor in the history department.
“World War I lives on in physical ways in Europe,” Linenthal said. “There are still farmers tilling fields in France and Belgium, for example, who are killed every year by unexploded World War I and World War II ordnance, you know, buried artillery shells and those kinds of things.”
The IU Art Museum is participating in the commemoration by presenting an installation titled “Dada and Constructivism: World War I and Radical Modernism.”
Jenny McComas, curator of the exhibit, said the pieces are a reflection of how the artists interpreted their experiences during the conflict.
“The works in this installation do not literally depict the war; rather, the installation explores how the war influenced some artists to explore radical new directions for art,” McComas said in an email.
McComas said the 17-piece exhibit reflects one side of the broader schism that occurred in European culture between traditionalism and the rejection of the customs prior to the war.
“In terms of visual art, this meant that some artists in the 1920s embraced traditional, figurative styles of art that suggested stability and normalcy after the chaos of the war,” she said. “Other artists, such as the ones featured in this installation, no longer felt that traditional forms of art were appropriate after the horrors of a war which was unprecedented in terms of casualties and the use of chemical and mechanical weaponry.”
Other events for the series include a roundtable conference with representatives from the nations that fought in conflict and a film series organized by the School for Global and International Studies at the IU Cinema.
Linenthal said the commemoration of WWI will be a positive event for the University, because it acknowledges an event that affected nations all around the world.
“World War I is such a huge event in the history of not just the 20th century but our time as well,” he said. “I think it’s fantastic that the University is doing such a rich array of programs to remind everyone of the enduring legacies of the war — not just for the United States but for people all over the world.”
