Initially, this was a conference given on March 18, 2009 at the Free University of Brussels (Dutch side), during a colloquium entitled "Reading the past from the future" under the direction of Jaak van Schoor. I keep a strong memory of this intervention in French before a predominantly Dutch-speaking audience, but, in fact, quite familiar with our language. After a lunch accompanied by Moselle wine; I presented myself to the audience wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of Ubu Roi. On the back was printed the favorite word of the P.U., which did not fail to provoke an approving reaction, not to say complicit, when I turned my back to them, thus illustrating the point I intended to develop. It was then printed in full in French in the collection:

I give here the presentation of the volume translated into French: Historical Avant-garde and Theater in the Interwar Period Paperback – April 1, 2011 Dutch Edition by Jaak Van Schoor (Edited by), Peter Benoy (Edited by) In 1909, the Futurist Manifesto was published. Two years earlier, Picasso had introduced a completely new perception of the image with his painting Les demoiselles d'Avignon. After that, new artistic movements such as cubism, dadaism, constructivism and surrealism emerged at a rapid pace. The avant-garde's views on theater are very different and give rise to surprising and sometimes shocking performances. The new ideas they propagated on stage and in manifestos have strongly influenced the performing arts world to this day. This publication sheds light on the relationships between the different avant-garde movements and European theatrical life in the interwar period. With contributions from Henri Béhar, Peter Benoy, Günter Berghaus, Ronald Commers, Willem Elias, Evelien Jonckheere, Frank Peeters, Laurence Pieropan, Jaak Van Schoor and David Willinger. Read my contribution in French (p. 59-74): Historische avant garde en het theater in het Interbellum - Jaak van Schoor - Google Livres Communication taken up in: Henri Béhar, Ondes de choc, nouveaux essais sur l'avant-garde, Lausanne, L'Age d'Homme, 2011, 344 p. HENRI BÉHAR - Ondes de choc - Art - LIVRES - Renaud-Bray.com - Livres + cadeaux + jeux

NB: I had first planned to cite this note from Ben (artist 1935-2024): "I MUST TELL YOU (THE PROVOCATEUR) For my "the provocateur" expo ideas are jostling at the entrance. I ask my children for ideas. Tom: you just have to arrive late. Benoît: you put a big cross and you burn it with or without Jesus. Benoit: a box full of cocaine. Morgane: provocation is the truth tell them the truth. At Wagram they give me other ideas: Arnaud Maguet: you write the names of the big Italian brands but with spelling mistakes. Annie: on a shelf all the doping products and on the walls the athletes' jerseys. Ben: I invite La Ciciolinia to sleep with me in a big double bed. Annie: but that's sub Jeff Koons. Paul: You ask for a money pot to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Annie - From the beginning of the opening you put everyone outside and you settle in the window to watch them." (Ben, newsletter, 19/09/2008)