Mapping Old Traces of the New. Towards a Historical Topography of Early Twentieth-Century Avant-Garde(s) in the European Cultural Field(s)

Abstract

How can we outline the historical and geographical spread of the so-called “historical avant-garde” An examination of the historiographical status of a few movements that are commonly considered as part of this avant-garde illustrates the lack of a consensus. For instance, some accounts ascribe a pivotal or privileged role to cubism and expressionism, whereas others explicitly exclude them. Neither the self-understanding of the “historical avant-garde” nor the innovations of its literary, artistic, and political practices yield a satisfactory definition. Instead, we should start viewing the “historical avant-garde” as a network and map it out as a rhizomatic complex.