Circus & the Avant-Gardes: Between Science and Art

This article examines the position of circus within the arts and sciences by exploring the interest of early 20th-century artists in circus phenomena – as a source of inspiration for artistic projects and studies – and the location of circus as an object of research within the panorama of scholarly disciplines. As the speakers – experts from different academic fields, curators and circus practitioners – at the second symposium on Circus and the Avant-Gardes (May 2020, University of Bern) examined, (studying) circus and avant-garde connections contributes to a better understanding of the artistic movements from the early 20th century and their cultural legacy, the history of popular entertainment and the cultural relevance of circus arts today. It also clarifies the importance of circus as an object of interdisciplinary and artistic research.