In the new volume "Circus and the Avant-Gardes. History, Imaginary, Innovation", the circus arena and the experimental avant-garde movements are subject to a common analysis for the first time. The book examines to what extent circus and avant-garde connections contribute to a better understanding of early twentieth-century artistic movements and their enduring legacy. Following two conferences in the spring of 2020, one held at the Cluster of Excellence "Temporal Communities", the collection, edited by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Mirjam Hildbrand, brings together leading researchers from various perspectives and different fields within the humanities as well as performers and circus practitioners.