Futurism

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Futurism contains references to and descriptions of controversial political ideologies as they are relevant to the subject of the page, which may be distressing for some people. User discretion is advised. This page exists for the purpose of documentation. The administrators and moderators do not necessarily endorse the ideology associated with the aesthetic.

This page is about a 20th-century art movement. Not to be confused with futuristic aesthetics.

Futurism (Italian: Futurismo) is a multidisciplinary art movement that originated in Italy during the early 20th century. It was one of the first European avant-garde movements. It influenced similar movements in other European countries, most notably Russia.

Futurists wanted to innovate every form of expression: painting, sculpture, literature, poetry, theater, music, architecture, dance, photography, cinema, and even gastronomy. The movement was founded by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who published its manifesto in 1909.^[1] The movement emphasized speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane, and the industrial city.

This aesthetic influenced Art Deco, Surrealism, Dadaism, and all "futuristic" aesthetics. Nowadays, it is common for "futurism" (written with a lowercase F) to broadly refer to aesthetics inspired by the future.

History[]

Futurism was founded in Milan in 1909 with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's publication of the "Founding and Manifesto of Futurism," which appeared in La gazzetta dell'Emilia, and later in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro. Marinetti led the movement until his death in 1944. The movement began as a literary avant-garde, using manifestos, poems, novels, and journals to spread its ideas. It quickly expanded into visual and performing arts, politics, and advertising. Marinetti's manifesto condemned passatismo (a cultural tradition) and advocated for the destruction of museums and libraries. Futurism quickly became an international movement, with manifestos published for various art forms.

The movement evolved after World War I, with the deaths of some important figures. This period is sometimes referred to as "Second Futurism." Futurist artists experimented with various techniques to capture dynamism and movement in their works. Their style evolved from fractured forms in the 1910s to a more mechanical aesthetic in the 1920s, and then to aerial imagery in the 1930s. Futurism officially ended with Marinetti's death in 1944, though many individual Futurists continued working for decades afterward.

Futurist painters were initially influenced by late 19th-century color and optical experiments. However, after encountering Cubism in Paris in 1911, their style shifted, incorporating elements of fragmentation and abstraction. They were also inspired by Étienne-Jules Marey's chronophotographic studies of movement. They wanted to represent an object's sensations, rhythms, and movements in their works.

Futurism was a highly politically charged movement. Its members used art and rhetoric to promote social change in Italy. They supported war as a means of national regeneration and aligned themselves with Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party.

Visuals[]

Futurist visual arts are diverse but often incorporate elements of abstraction and Surrealism to depict industrial and wartime scenes. Common subjects include airplanes, aviation (especially in Second Futurism), factories, cities, cars, artillery, and war casualties. Vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and fragmented shapes create a sense of movement and energy. Artists experimented with techniques like blurring and repetition to represent the dynamism of modern life and technology.

Fashion[]

During the 20th century, Italian Futurist artists began to experiment with fashion, creating designs and garments that were sometimes unwearable but served as artistic expressions and social statements.^[2] They sought to invent "futurist clothes" that were colorful and dynamic, intended to be short-lived to encourage industrial activity and provide novelty.

One of the earliest examples of Futurist fashion occurred in 1911 when Umberto Boccioni and Gino Severini wore mismatched socks and ties to a meeting with Picasso.^[2] This demonstrated two key Futurist principles: asymmetry and bright colors. Futurists introduced new clothing designs that rejected symmetry and embraced unconventional materials, geometric patterns, and bright colors. They experimented with the use of volume, texture, and animated objects in their creations.

"We must invent futurist clothes, hap-hap-hap-hap-happy clothes, daring clothes with brilliant colors and dynamic lines. They must be simple, and above all, they must be made to last for a short time only in order to encourage industrial activity and to provide constant and novel enjoyment for our bodies." ― Giacomo Balla, Le Vêtements Masculin Futuriste (1914)

Giacomo Balla was a pioneer in Futurist fashion.^[2] He created a personal wardrobe of Futurist clothing and designed textiles incorporating dynamic lines, synthetic forms, and contrasting colors. He sought to bring movement and dynamism to clothing, even using "speed lines" and colorful beams on fabric.

In 1914, Balla published two manifestos on Futurist clothing. He proposed replacing the traditional black suit with joyful and dynamic designs inspired by the essence of modern cities. He also encouraged Italians to embrace aggressive and patriotic clothing as a way to boost morale and prepare for war. Balla's studio produced a wide range of Futurist clothing and accessories for both men and women. He saw fashion as a "living plastic complex" that embodied Futurism.

Ernesto Michahelles, known as Thayaht, invented the "Tuta" suit in 1918. This was a unisex, utilitarian garment that combined shirt, jacket, and trousers into a single piece. It was designed to be affordable, practical, and adaptable to any occasion. Thayaht also created a female version of the Tuta and collaborated with couturier Madeleine Vionnet on haute couture illustrations.

Fortunato Depero was the Futurist most closely associated with fashion.^[2] He designed costumes, theatrical sets, and illustrations for advertisements. He also worked as an illustrator for Vogue and Vanity Fair in New York. Depero's designs were known for their geometric patterns and innovative use of materials.

In 1933, Renato Di Bosso introduced the "Anticravatta," a Futurist necktie made of light metal.^[2] This marked the completion of the Futurist wardrobe, encompassing everything from clothing to accessories.

Music[]

Futurism also encompassed music. Futurist music rejected tradition and embraced experimental sounds inspired by industrial machinery, especially cars and airplanes. It influenced several 20th-century composers.

In 1910, musician Francesco Balilla Pratella joined the Futurist movement. He wrote several manifestos on Futurist music. He believed that Italian music was outdated and inferior compared to music from other countries. He called for young composers to break free from tradition and create new, experimental music.

Pratella's musical program included:

Independent study for young musicians
A new music review, free from academic influence
Open competitions for composers
Freedom from the past and traditional forms
Equal importance for singers and instrumentalists
Opera composers writing their own librettos in free verse
An end to period settings and traditional forms in music
Promotion of new musical works

Luigi Russolo, a painter and musician, wrote "The Art of Noises" in 1913. He and his brother Antonio created instruments called "intonarumori."^[3] These were experimental noise generators that allowed the performer to create and control different types of sounds. Russolo and Marinetti gave the first Futurist music concert with the intonarumori in 1914, which caused a riot.

Russolo classified noise-sounds into six categories:

Roars, thunder, explosions
Whistling, hissing, puffing
Whispers, murmurs, gurgling
Screeching, creaking, rustling
Noises from hitting materials like metal or wood
Animal and human voices, shouts, screams

Dance[]

Futurism influenced dance by presenting it as a way to connect humans and machines. The movements of airplanes, the power of car engines, and the sounds of machinery were seen as examples of human intelligence and accomplishment. Futurist dance aimed to capture these qualities. Futurist dance broke from traditional ballet and classical dance styles. It did not try to tell stories or have clear meanings. Instead, it used abstract movements inspired by technology and the modern world.

Giannina Censi was a well-known Futurist dancer. She was known for her "Aerodanze," which were inspired by the themes of flight in second-generation Futurism. Censi used her dance to show the movements of airplanes. Censi was trained in classical ballet, but she developed a new style of dance with Marinetti. Her dances showed what it felt like to fly, using her body to copy the movements and vibrations of an airplane.

Cinema[]

In 1916, the Manifesto of Futurist Cinema was published, signed by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Bruno Corra, Arnaldo Ginna, Giacomo Balla, Remo Chiti, and Emilio Settimelli. It declared that cinema was inherently a Futurist art form due to its lack of a past and traditions.

Futurists rejected narrative cinema, which they considered outdated. Instead, they sought a cinema of "travel, hunting, and war," characterized by an "anti-graceful, deforming, impressionistic, synthetic, dynamic, and free-word" spectacle. They enthusiastically embraced the search for a new cinematic language, free from traditional aesthetics.

Unfortunately, many Futurist films were lost during the war, including "Futurist Life," which depicted men disrupting tourists in cafes. Among the surviving works are the 1916 tragedy "Thaïs" by Anton Giulio Bragaglia and the 1914 romantic comedy "Amor Pedestre" by Marcel Fabre. "Amor Pedestre" portrays an unrequited love story by focusing on the characters from the knees down.

Theatre[]

Futurist theatre encompassed a range of theatrical experiments that emerged within the Futurist movement. It explored various aspects of theatre, from playwriting and set design to acting and the relationship between the performance and the audience. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti saw theatre as an important means of communication and a way to apply Futurist principles of dynamism and subversion.

It was not a homogenous phenomenon, but it was strongly influenced by Marinetti's revolutionary ideas. He outlined key principles for Futurist theatre, contrasting it with traditional bourgeois theatre.

These ideas were expressed in three main documents:

"Variety Theatre" (1913) by Marinetti
"Synthetic Futurist Theatre" (1915) by Marinetti, Emilio Settimelli, and Bruno Corra
"Theatre of Surprise" (1921) by Marinetti and Francesco Cangiullo

These manifestos advocated for the destruction of conventional dramatic forms, rejecting traditional plots, historical dramas, and realistic portrayals of everyday life. They also sought to liberate theatre from commercial constraints.

Marinetti's "Manifesto of the Futurist Playwrights" (1911) encouraged active audience participation, even welcoming disapproval as a form of participation. Futurist playwriting involved abandoning traditional verse and prose in favor of free verse, breaking with syntax and the legacy of older theatrical literature.

Enrico Prampolini, in his document "Futurist Scenography and Choreography," called for the abolition of painted scenery and advocated for a non-naturalistic approach to set design. He proposed sets that evoked direct and powerful emotions, requiring the audience to actively decode their meaning.

Prampolini rejected traditional scenography, proposing instead a synthesis of dynamism, simultaneity, and unity between the performer and the environment. This involved using colors, geometric shapes, abstract forms, and electric light as elements in set design.

Literature[]

Marinetti's Futurist manifesto expressed a rejection of traditional artistic and political ideas, embracing instead the concepts of speed, technology, and the modern world. Futurists saw the automobile, the airplane, and industrial cities as symbols of human triumph over nature. Futurist literature sought to revolutionize Italian literature, breaking free from established rules, including those of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Writers experimented with new forms to create "free-flowing" poetry. They rejected traditional syntax, modified words, and arranged them on the page to create visual representations of their subjects.

Marinetti's ideas attracted other artists in Milan who wanted to extend Futurism into visual arts and music. Painters Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, and Luigi Russolo, along with composers Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini, became early adopters of Futurism.

In 1912, the "Technical Manifesto of Futurist Literature" was published. Futurist literature of the decade often glorified war and expressed strong nationalist sentiments. Futurism initially inspired some aspects of Fascism, but it was later ostracized for its association with the defeated regime.

Futurist poets often gathered around the magazine "Poesia," founded by Marinetti in 1905. Their poems frequently referenced the future and the intense sensations associated with speed and war in a positive way. Notable Futurist poets included Aldo Palazzeschi and Paolo Buzzi.

The second generation of Futurism also saw the development of "Aeropoesia" (Aeropoetry), a style of poetry focused on aviation and the experience of flight.

Architecture[]

StazioneSant'Elia — Perspective drawing from "La Città Nuova" by Sant'Elia (1914)

Futurist architecture was a mostly conceptual architectural movement in Italy during the early 20th century, rejecting Neoclassicism.^[4]

It emphasized innovation, rejected historical and "revival" styles, and used dynamic lines and bright colors to evoke speed, movement, and the machine age. Antonio Sant'Elia was the architect who best represented the Futurist vision in urban form.^[4] Although few Futurist architectural designs were actually constructed, the movement released numerous manifestos and articles on the topic of new architecture.

In 1914, Sant'Elia, along with Marinetti, published the Manifesto of Futurist Architecture. This manifesto advocated for a new type of city that was dynamic and constantly changing, with buildings that resemble gigantic machines. Umberto Boccioni also worked on a similar manifesto, but it was never published during his lifetime.

Over the years, several other Futurist manifestos and articles addressed the topic of architecture, participating in debates with proponents of classical styles. Some notable texts included writings by Enrico Prampolini, Virgilio Marchi's Manifesto of Futurist-Dynamic Architecture, and the Manifesto of Futurist Sacred Art by Fillia and Marinetti.

The last Futurist manifesto related to architecture, the Manifesto of Aerial Architecture, was published in 1934. It shifted the focus towards urban planning on a visionary scale.

There are not many Futurist architectural projects that were actually built. After World War II, the Futurist movement dissolved, and its architectural ideas faced neglect due to their association with the Fascist regime.

Politics[]

For further information, see Futurist Political Party on Wikipedia.

Futurism had a complicated relationship with politics, especially with Italian fascism. Futurists advocated for a wide range of ideas, including pro-war stances, technological acceleration, industrialization, and the rejection of traditional institutions like marriage, academics, and Christianity. Many Futurists wanted to "modernize" Italy by reducing the differences between the industrial northern regions and the rural regions of the south (presumably through forced cultural assimilation). Nevertheless, both Fascism and Futurism were Italian nationalist ideologies, which attracted working-class people and upset war veterans. Both movements were radical, advocated for violence, and rejected democracy.

The Futurist Political Party, founded in 1918, promoted a radical platform that included:

Gender parity
Abolition of marriage, inheritance, military service, and secret police
Addressing the needs of war veterans, workers, women, and farmworkers
A syndicalist program combining elements of socialism and Italian nationalism, while rejecting internationalism and traditionalism

Marinetti's ideology combined elements of anarchism, revolutionary syndicalism, and nationalism. He wanted to create a revolutionary movement specific to Italy, drawing inspiration from the October Revolution in Russia but rejecting its "uncreative collectivism." The Futurists also reinterpreted Marxism, prioritizing the nation over class, similar to Fascism.

The Futurist concept of "Futurist Democracy" encompassed ideas like:

State-raised children funded by a tax on free love
Decentralization and merit-based state careers
Youth councils with direct elections
Land reform
Gender equality
"Schools of courage and patriotism"
Prison reform and abolition of political police

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti started the Futurist Political Party in 1918. It was incorporated in Benito Mussolini's Fasci Italiani di Combattimento in 1919. This would later became the Fascist National Party, making Marinetti one of its first members. However, his relationship with Fascism was not simple. He did not like that the regime supported existing institutions, which he saw as "reactionary." He left politics for a while because of this. Still, he supported Italian Fascism until he died in 1944.

After Fascism took power in 1922, Futurists were officially recognized. This gave them the chance to do important work, especially in architecture. But after World War II, many Futurist artists had problems with their careers because they had been connected to the losing side.^[5]

Marinetti wanted Futurism to be the official art doctrine of Fascist Italy (similar to Socialist Realism in the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence), but this did not happen. Mussolini supported many art styles to keep artists loyal to him, including neo-classical aesthetics inspired by the Roman Empire. He believed art was for individuals, not the state. Mussolini's mistress, Margherita Sarfatti, promoted another group, the Novecento, and even got Marinetti to join them. Initially, modern art was allowed under Fascism, but later on, some Fascists began condemning Futurism and destroying artworks. Marinetti did everything he could for Futurism to be accepted by the Fascist regime, such as going against his own values (getting married despite advocating for the abolishment of marriage,^[6] moving near Rome to be closer to the capital/government, becoming an academician, practicing Catholicism...), but ultimately, his efforts were in vain.

Even though Futurism had many progressive ideas, it is mostly linked to Fascism, and the fact Marinetti is a co-author of the Fascist Manifesto is a really controversial aspect of the movement's legacy. However, it had many different supporters, many of which did not like what Marinetti was doing. In 1924, socialists, communists, and anarchists left the Milan Futurist Congress. People who were against Fascism within Futurism were not silenced until 1939. This wide range of ideologies was influenced by the ideas of Georges Sorel, who believed that political violence could bring change.

Cuisine[]

Cooking-futurist-recipes-invented-by-marinetti-876-body-image-1459421319-size 1000 — Example of a recipe created by Marinetti.

Futurist cuisine was a special and mostly ironic approach to food and dining proposed by some members of the Italian Futurist movement. It was first introduced in the "Manifesto of Futurist Cooking" by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and Fillìa (Luigi Colombo) in 1930. Marinetti's concept was based on the idea that changing how people ate and drank could also transform their thinking and behavior.^[7] Futurist cooking aimed to combine gastronomy and art.

Futurists rejected pasta, believing it led to "negativity" and "weakness." They also wanted to reduce Italy's reliance on imported wheat. They emphasized originality and harmony in their meals, including the presentation and the dining environment. They even suggested using scientific equipment in the kitchen to create new flavors and textures.

The Italian public did not widely accept Futurist cuisine. The press criticized it, and many found the proposed dishes bizarre and unappealing.

The following are some examples of Futurist meals:

Italian Breasts in the Sunshine (almond paste with strawberries and black pepper)
Diabolical Roses (deep-fried rose heads)
Divorced Eggs (hard-boiled eggs with yolks and whites separated and served on different purees)
Milk in a Green Light (cold milk with honey, grapes, and radishes, illuminated by a green light)

Related Movements[]

There are many movements influenced by Italian Futurism. This section primarily deals with directly associated ones, such as Russian Futurism and its variants.

Aeropittura[]

Aeropittura (lit. "Aeropainting") is an art movement within the second generation of Italian Futurism that lasted approximately from 1929 to the late 1940s. Emerging after World War I, it reflected the Futurists' interest in aviation and technology. Aeropittura artists aimed to capture the experience of flight and the perspective of a bird in their works. They incorporated elements of dynamism, speed, and technology into their paintings. The movement was officially estabilished in 1929 when eight artists (Benedetta Cappa, Fortunato Depero, Gerardo Dottori, Fillìa, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Enrico Prampolini, Mino Somenzi, and Tato) published their manifesto, "Perspectives of Flight."

Most Aeropittura artists actively collaborated with the Fascist regime and created propagandistic works that glorified figures Benito Mussolini and the Italian Air Force. Some artworks also promoted Catholicism. However, not all Aeropittura artists were fascists. Some used their art to express discontent with the regime. This has led to debate about the movement's legacy and its role as a tool of propaganda.

Russian Futurism[]

Russian Futurism (Rusian: Русский футуризм) was a primarily literary movement of Russian poets and artists that emerged in the early-1910s.^[8] They adopted the principles of Italian Futurism and Marinetti's manifesto, rejecting the past and incorporating topics of speed, machinery, violence, youth, and industry. They sought to modernize Russia and its culture.

In 1912, the literary group Hylea published the manifesto "A Slap in the Face of Public Taste," advocating for the destruction of traditional artistic institutions and embracing urbanism. Notable Russian Futurists included Natalia Goncharova, Mikhail Larionov, David Burliuk, Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Mayakovsky, and Velimir Khlebnikov.

Russian Futurism also incorporated elements of French Cubism, leading to the emergence of "Cubo-Futurism." This style combined the breakdown of forms, multiple viewpoints, and contrasting colors and textures to create non-narrative works.

By 1914, Russian Futurists had developed a hostile attitude towards Italian Futurists, rejecting their influence and even faking publication dates to assert their own originality.

Some Russian Futurists, particularly Vladimir Mayakovsky, used political themes in their works. Mayakovsky opposed World War I and supported the Russian Revolution. He was involved in early attempts to establish Komfut, an organization promoting Futurism within the Communist Party. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Futurists initially held influence in Soviet culture, especially the Soviet avant-garde, but their movement eventually faced criticism from authorities. By the late 1920s, the movement had largely faded.

Cubo-Futurism[]

Cyclist (Goncharova, 1913) — "Cyclist" by Natalia Goncharova (1913)

Cubo-Futurism (Russian: кубофутуризм) is an art movement that was practiced by Russian Futurists in the early 20th century. It combined elements of Italian Futurism and French Analytical Cubism. It was incorporated primarily in painting and sculpture. This movement can be traced back to a group of artists called Soyuz Molodyozhi ("Union of Youth") who gathered in 1910. They were inspired by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's 1909 Futurist Manifesto. Cubo-Futurists combined his ideas with the fragmented forms of Cubism to create a new style.

The term "Cubo-Futurism" first appeared in 1913 a lecture by art critic Korney Chukovsky. He used this word to describe the work of poets who were moving away from Symbolism and towards Futurism and Zaum (experimental poetry). Later that year, the term also came to describe the work of visual artists who were experimenting with non-representational art through fragmentation and the displacement of traditional forms.

Cubo-Futurism also influenced performance art. Painters and poets collaborated on theater, cinema, and ballet pieces that broke with conventions. They used Zaum poetry, improvisation, and audience participation.

Cubo-Futurism began to decline around 1915 as artists moved on to other styles, such as Suprematism and Constructivism. The 0,10 Exhibition of 1915-1916 is often seen as marking the end of the movement.

Ego-Futurism[]

Ego-Futurism (Russian: Эгофутуризм) was a Russian literary movement of the 1910s. It was a branch of Russian Futurism, but it had a different focus. It was developed by Igor Severyanin and his followers in Saint Petersburg, setting it apart from the Cubo-Futurists who were based in Moscow. In 1910, Marinetti lectured in Russia, which inspired some of the first Russian Futurist groups. One of these groups, led by David and Wladimir Burliuk, was called "Hylea." Members of Hylea would later become Cubo-Futurists.

Igor Severyanin, who founded Ego-Futurism, was already a poet before the Futurist movement began. He was influenced by Russian Impressionist poets. He started developing his Futurist ideas in 1910. Ego-Futurism started in 1911 when Severyanin published a brochure called "Prolog (Ego-Futurism)." He criticized contemporary poetry and argued that poetry needed to be modernized. He also claimed that he was already famous throughout Russia.

Severyanin formed a group of four Ego-Futurist poets called the "Ego-group" in 1911. They published their manifesto after "Prolog" and began their activities in 1912. The group held public events to gain attention. Their movement was based on the idea of the individual and the poet's dislike of the masses.

Severyanin left the group in 1912 after a disagreement with other members. However, he still considered himself an Ego-Futurist. The group continued under the leadership of Ivan Ignatiev, who renamed it the "Academy of Ego-Poetry." One of the most notable poets from this second phase of Ego-Futurism was Vasilisk Gnedov, whose style was closer to the Cubo-Futurists.

By 1913, other groups inspired by Ego-Futurism started to appear. There were some key differences between Ego-Futurism and Cubo-Futurism. Ego-Futurists included Symbolist poetry in their publications, while Cubo-Futurists completely rejected the past. Severyanin also preferred a more subjective approach, unlike the Cubo-Futurists who were more objective.

Despite their differences, the two groups briefly united in 1914. However, this collaboration ended quickly due to disagreements and infighting. Ego-Futurism had largely faded by 1916.