Le Surréalisme et l’esprit avant-gardiste
SURREALISM AND THE AVANT‐GARDE SPIRIT

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the complex relationship between Surrealism and the broader avant‐garde movement, exploring their historical, theoretical, and aesthetic connections. It contends that, although Surrealism is firmly grounded in the avant‐garde tradition, it developed a distinctive identity and made significant contributions to literature, art, and culture. The study begins by recognising the complexities of the term "avant‐ garde." Originally a military term, "avant‐garde" evolved to describe a variety of artistic and intellectual movementsthat challenge established norms. Miklós Szabolcsi defines it through aesthetic, philosophical, and political programmes. This lays a foundation for understanding Surrealism within this context. Central to the discussion are the theoretical frameworks of Renato Poggioli and Peter Bürger. Poggioli highlights aesthetic and psychological aspects, whereas Bürger concentrates on socio‐political implications. Bürger's perspective frames the avant‐garde as a form of self‐criticism operating within the structures of bourgeois society. A particular emphasisis placed on Peter Bürger'sinfluential "Theory of the Avant‐Garde," especially his concept of "art as an institution." Bürger's theoretical work provides a valuable framework for a deeper examination of Surrealism. He connects what he termsthe "historical avant‐garde movements" to Dadaism, early Surrealism, the Russian avant‐garde, and, with certain reservations and nuances, to Italian Futurism, German Expressionism, and even Cubism. According to Bürger's analysis, the function of art itself is fundamentally defined by the very institution of art. This institution encompasses the conditions of artistic production, distribution, and reception. It includes both the material production apparatus and the dominant ideas and beliefs about art that prevail at any given time. Crucially, this institution develops in tandem with the rise of bourgeois society, which simultaneously institutionalizes art as an autonomoussphere, effectively separated from the everyday realities of life. Bürger identifies a critical stance towards this institution as a fundamental function of the avant‐garde. According to him, it is this critical process that ultimately leads to art's self‐criticism, thereby enabling a more profound and comprehensive comprehension of art's historical development. The avant‐ garde, in its essence, stands in direct opposition to art as an institution, actively seeking to abolish its separation from lived experience.

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