Abstract
The study turns the attention to ostension as the repeated way out to restore sign system. The introduction recapitulates concepts of the art as the sign, the theory of ostension by Wittgestein, E.
Volk and later N. Goodmann.
Process of implementing ostension in collages of Dadaists, cubists, constructivists and surrealists has been traced as well as developing concept „ready made“ Dadaism and „objet trouvé“ surrealism. Bauhaus has been reminded as the school of methodically directed interest in constructural principles and qualities of used materials.
Persistence of ostension has been traced in the contemporary art as well.