Philippe Sers' 'La Révolution des avant-gardes' explores truth in avant-garde art

In his book 'La Révolution des avant-gardes. L’expérience de la vérité en art' (Hazan), Philippe Sers argues that the avant-gardes, exemplified by Dada, sought a specific truth through art, distinct from scientific truth but equally rigorous. Drawing on a 1971 interview with Hans Richter, Sers highlights the ambiguity of Dada's hostility to existing art while still producing art. The book takes a philosophical approach, focusing on the 'experience of truth in art' as a new paradigm. Sers reconciles the centrifugal and centripetal tendencies of avant-garde art—its expansion beyond artistic codes and its inward focus—through the concept of 'inner necessity' inspired by Kandinsky. He emphasizes the artist's intention and 'personal identity' as the radical source of creativity, detached from practical interests. Sers introduces the idea of 'transfer of evidence' from inner to shared evidence in public space, and distinguishes 'composition' from 'construction' in the creative process. The work opposes relativistic approaches, stressing the immanent qualities of artworks and the search for organic totality as the essential goal of creation. This ethical and philosophical vision positions avant-garde art as a means of reflecting on society and inventing the future, ultimately returning to life.