Bauhaus Imaginista: A School in the World

From its inception in 1919, the Bauhaus was a truly international institution. Students and teachers travelled from Croatia, Hungary, Japan, Palestine, Russia, Switzerland and the United States to Weimar and later Dessau and Berlin to become part of the school, drawn to the Bauhaus because of its cosmopolitan, avant-garde perspective and hands-on curriculum. This outlook was reflected in the way the school received and interpreted diverse influences, ranging from Arts and Crafts to reform pedagogy, from Eastern spirituality to constructivism, machine production and the Neues Bauen (New Building) movement. Art and design at the Bauhaus also contained a transcultural element, gleaned through exposure to non-western cultures, books and museum collections and interaction with foreign students and visiting lecturers.