From Anthropocentrism to New Materialism: Circus Objects and Apparatuses

• Applicant: Dr. Franziska Trapp
• Subject Area: Theatre and Media Studies ; General and Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies
• Term: from 2020 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 446040934

Changes in the bio- and eco-sphere, advances in the natural sciences, the accompanying ethical and political concerns, and developments in global economic structures and technologies call upon us to reorient ourselves profoundly in relation to our material environment. Matter no longer functions as a passive channel for human action, affect, and desire; entities regarded as passive in the anthropocentric worldview are now ascribed agency in the so-called new materialism(s). In the history of the circus—and this is the core thesis of this research project—this material turn, which is negotiated as a new paradigm of occidental thinking, can be impressively traced: It marks the turning points in the traditional, the new, and the contemporary circus, which are explained by referencing changes in circus practice and institutions, such as the absence of animal acts or a new generation of artists. While the traditional circus may be considered a symbol of Western anthropocentrism, the contemporary circus has new materialist features.The aim of the research project is to trace the development of subject-object relations within circus performances and to situate them in their respective cultural-historical contexts. The focus becomes how objects and apparatuses in circus performances are used specifically, and how this use is reflected in the social understanding of how objects are to be handled.The research project therefore contributes fundamentally to circus studies, which are currently being established worldwide, reacts to the new materialist interest in theatre, dance, and performance studies, develops cultural semiotic theories, concepts, and methods against the background of new materialism(s), and provides philosophical insights concerning the place of human beings in the material world.

• DFG Programme: WBP Position