“Today for the last time”? On the cultural meanings of circus and the avant-gardes – some final provocations

This final chapter is a reflection on the coexisting juxtapositions, ambiguities, contradictions and paradoxical dynamics revealed in this volume: past and present, tradition and revolution, “elitist” and “pop”, “high” and “low”, art and entertainment. It tentatively maps how the meaning of “circus” as shifted in “avant-garde” contexts, and what role the “culture of narration” plays between them. In light of circus history, this chapter critically reflects on what historical avant-gardists perceived and interpreted as circus – how their “idea of circus” can be defined – and also discusses some of the cultural interconnections between modern circus and the “popular avant-gardes” that have not yet been discussed in depth in this volume.