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Sandal BharadwajAssistant Professor

Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies EFL University

Hyderabad

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ITALIAN FUTURISM IN THE CONTEXT OF WORLD WAR - I & RETRO-FUTURISM TODAY

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On June 29, 1914, the assassination of Archduke Prince Frantz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, capital of Serbia, led a war, on July 28, 1914, that continued for more than four years, officially terminating on November 11, 1918.

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Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was the founder of Futurism.

War as the most beautiful aesthetic spectacle of his life. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944)

He thus typified what soon came to be known as Futurism. It was a social and artistic movement originated in Italy.

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At the level of art Futurism can be described, as “a dynamic and renewing attitude aiming to project art and life into the future.”

Verdone (2003:16)

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The starting date of Futurism is said to be February 20, 1909 .

Marinetti said “We declare..... a new beauty, the beauty of Speed.”

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The futurists admired speed, technology, car, aero plane, youth, violence and industrial city, all that represent technological triumph of humanity over nature. They wanted their work to look as modern and high tech as possible.

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Futurism became an international movement.

Key Futurist principles : an elitist love for violence, glorification of warfare, a maniac love for speed, technology and progress, rejection for all things past, the notion of a new man of modern technology, a drive to unleash man’s instinct and release his creative potential, and be at the centre of, all ongoing historical transformations.

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At the centre of Futurism stood a galvanising vision of the coming homo technologicus. Futurists preached the technological triumph of man over nature. Giacomo Balla, one of the futurist painter named his daughter as Elica — the Propeller.

Manifestoes for various type of art: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, photography, cinema, and even clothing.

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Futurism in the Art of SculptureUnique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umbero Boccioni

Sculptural Construction of Noise and Speed by Giacomo Balla

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Futurism in the Art of PaintingDynamism of a Dog on a Leash by Giacomo Balla

Funeral of Anarchist Galli by Carlo Carra

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Futurism in ArchitectureFIAT LINGOTTO FACTORY TURIN

FIAT LINGOTTO FACTORY (ROOF) TURIN

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“Architecture be constructed of degradable materials ensuring that nothing would endure past a single generation. This degrading architecture effectively makes each generation responsible for the construction of their own towns and cities.” (Manifesto of Futurist architecture)

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Parole in Libertà

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Retro-Futurism

Futuristic landscape Digital DVD cover

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Retro-Futurism

UFO Space and Astronaut Theme

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High Speed photography is the “Photo-Dynamism” of 21st Century.

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Example of PHOTOSHOP to create chrono-photography movement

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