Arrière-Garde/Avant-Garde

Abstract This article addresses a largely overlooked research topic: the influence of the Polish interwar avant-garde, particularly the work of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), on Jerzy Grotowski. It focuses on three areas: (1) the biographical influence on Grotowski, specifically related to the unrealized production of a Witkacy play; (2) the aesthetic and theatrical parallels between Grotowski and Witkacy; and (3) the affinities between Grotowski’s concept of “poor theater” and Witkacy’s “theater as pure form.” The article concludes with a reflection on the reciprocal influence between past and future artistic movements. Through the conceptual framework of arrière-garde and avant-garde, the article offers a methodological discussion.