The Failure of the Futurists
Are the Futurists of the past still relevant today? A brief overview of one of the most influential, and contentious, movements in Twentieth Century art.
In February 1909, the Italian Futurists published a provocative, iconoclastic, manifesto in several major newspapers, including Le Figaro. In it, founder F.T Marinetti (over)stated their philosophy and tenets. It was overtly fascist, pro-war, anti-feminist, and declared the belief of beauty in violence, aggression and strife. It was pro-industrial and proclaimed a passion for all things mechanical and powerful. They urged their potential followers to destroy the art of the past by actively flooding or burning down galleries and museums…
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche has been cited as a major influence on initial Futurist ideology, but was the manifesto what they truly believed or were they merely being provocative — perhaps a little of both?
They also believed that art went beyond theory and aesthetics and should be an integral part of a holistic lifestyle to integrate the personal and the political, the individual and the nation. Their radical approach and constant self-publicity caused quite a stir and attracted much public interest. They also stated that the artists involved with…
