Beyond Anarchism Marinetti Futurism Futurist Anarchism University College

Beyond Anarchism Marinetti, Futurism, Futurist Anarchism University College of London (UK), dept. of Italian, 3. 12. 2008 Marja Härmänmaa, University of Helsinki, Finland / University of Cambridge, Clare Hall College

”A visit” n In 1865 Mikhail Bakunin went to Naples n Creation of Bakunin’s Anarchist ideology n Foundation of Anarchist movement in Italy – In 1900 the murder of King Umberto I

Conceptualization of Futurist Anarchism n Social utopia of Futurism? n The social meaning of Art? n The role of the artist in society?

Italy cradle of Anarchism n Mikhail Bakunin (1814 – 1876) n Errico Malatesta (1853 -1932) n Economically a poor country n Disappointment of unification n Corruption of the political class n Cultural and political anarchism – D’Annunzio – Gian Pietro Lucini

Political radicalism & artistic anarchism n Associated around the mid 19 th century n Changed artistic institution n New autonomy of arts and artists n Critique of middle class society and its materialistic values n France: Symbolism and Impressionism

Marinetti’s early social interests n Le Roi Bombance (1905) – Social revolution (led by the socialists Filippo Turati and Antonio Labriola) n Before the IWW – Against the politics of Giolitti – Connections with extra pariamentary groups – George Sorel and theory of the use of violence

Marinetti and Anarchism n Theme of ’destruction’ in the first works – La conquête des étoiles (1902) – Destruction (1904) n In Paris in contact with the Anarchists n Abbaye de Créteil, utopistic community of anarchist artists

Futurist anarchy n Foundation of Futurism (1909): – ”the most aggressive revolt of the modern man towards the past and the present time” n Artistic anarchism n Against the artistic tradition n Rupture of the artistic tradition in Modernism (partly) caused by the diffusion of anarchist ideas in arts

”Conferenza su l’amore del pericolo e l’eroismo quotidiano” (1910) n “E voi, forse, non avete ancora un concetto esatto di ciò che siamo e di quel che vogliamo. Immaginate nella malinconica e stagnante repubblica delle lettere e delle arti un gruppo di giovani assolutamente ribelle e demolitore che stanco di adorare il passato, nauseato dal pedantismo accademico, avido di originalità temeraria e anelante verso una vita avventurosa, energica e quotidianamente eroica, sgombrare l’anima italiana da quel amasso [sic] di pregiudizi di luoghi comuni, di rispetti e di venerazioni che noi chiamiamo il passatismo. Insomma: degli anarchici in arte, ecco che cosa sono i futuristi. ”

Reasons to deny the past n Judeo-christian conception of linear time n Advent of the “macchina” had broken the chain of linear time n Beginning of a new era n Past did not exist

”Prefazione futurista a ’Revolverate’ di Gian Pietro Lucini” (1910) n ”Il presente non mai come in questi tempi apparve staccato dalla catena genetica del passato, figlio di sé stesso e generatore formidabile delle potenze future”

Versions of Anarchism n Enlightenment – William Godwin (1756 – 1836) – Peter Kropotkin (1842 – 1921) – A perfect society communism n Romanticism – Mikhail Bakunin (1814 – 1876) – Max Stirner (1806 – 1856) – Individual anarchism

Individual Anarchism n Max Stirner: – Der Einzige und sein Eigenthum (1844) n No interest towards society nor towards the arts n Importance of the individual as ’ego’ against everything n All social institutions (government, church. . ) are artificial concepts and thus false authorities

Individual aestheticism n Artist produces his uniqueness in art n Individualist makes art out of his own personality n Egoist makes art to promote himself n Partly explains the heterogeneity of modernist culture

’Futurism’ as a work of art n In order to promote Marinetti n Absolute leader of the movement n Mafarka il futurista (1910) – Mafarka = Marinetti – Gazourmah = Futurism

Nihilism of Cultural modernism n Matei Calinescu: n Otherness and change important n Tradition of ”antitradition” n Future way out of rotten present, son of the past n When future moment is reached, it becomes present moment n Continuous destruction / rejection

Futurist nichilism in arts n Faith n in progress Guerra sola igiene del mondo (1915) – ”Abbiate fiducia nel progresso, che ha sempre ragione, anche quando ha torto, perché è il movimento, la vita, la lotta, la speranza. ” n Principle of eternal development n Nothing is supposed to last n Works of art are to be destroyed when they are ready

L’Aeroplano del Papa (1912) n ”Sono incessantemente commisto alle mie scorie. La mia vita è la fusione perpetua dei miei frantumi. Distruggo per creare ed ancora distruggo per modellare statue tonanti che subito spezzo con lo schifo e il terrore di vederle durare!”

Futurist nichilism in politics n Before WW 1 no social utopia n Principle of the eternal development n Ideal: the everlasting state of war n ”War, world’s sole hygiene”

Futurist political activity n Marinetti’s growing interest towards politics after WW 1 n First political manifesto (1913) n Futurist political party (1918) n Democrazia futurista (1919) n Al di là del comunismo (1920)

Modernizing Italy n Abolition of Pope, monarchy, parliament and marriage n A government of technicians in power with a council of Young people n 8 -hours working day

”Futurist Anarchist State” n Final result of the political program n An apolitical anarchistic utopia n No class struggle n ”Al di là del comunismo” n Instead of the proletariat, a spiritual aristocracy that has the right to realize the Italian revolution

”Artecrazia” n Jean n La Grave (1854 – 1939) societé mourante et l’anarchie (1892) n Anarchy is art n Art = supreme form of individualism n The main duty of an anarchist society is to produce culture n Oscar Wilde

D’Annunzio and Fiume n The n La Republic of Fiume (1919 - 1920) Carta del Carnaro n Free university n Academy of fine arts n Schools of music n In every municipality an orchestra and a choir subsidized by the State and giving free concerts

Marinetti’s version n Al di là del comunismo (1920) n ”Art is an alcohol that gives optimism to citizens” Number of artists must increase -> race of artists In every city a centre of genius Every month new exhibitions of art and poetry readings. Music: in every piazza a choir and an orchestra Life must become a work of art n n n

Goodbye, anarchy! n ”Il Futurismo è un movimento schiettamente artistico ed ideologico. Interviene nelle lotte politiche soltanto nelle ore di grave pericolo per la Nazione. ” (Futurismo e Fascismo, 1924)

Avant-garde and totalitarianism n n n Mussolini in power in 1922 Changed position of Futurism from antagonism to collaboration with the State Important position in the artistic life of the Fascist Italy (Venice Biennale…) Marinetti member of l’Accademia d’Italia Marinetti wrote 2 -3 articles in the Italian Encyclopedia about Futurism Marinetti a special propagandist of the State in case of war

Anarchist art n Difficult to define n Artistic anarchy towards society? n Artistic anarchy within the tradition of art? n Kropotkin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: – Art must serve the revolution – Documentary meaning: Social realism

Fascist art policy n n n Discussion started immediately when Mussolini became prime minister Futurists wanted a strict artistic policy Political dictatorship – artistic dictatorship Futurism as the official art of Fascism Futurism had collaborated in the foundation of Fascism (1919) Fascist Italy a modern State – a need of a modern art

Art and anarchist society n Kropotkin: – Artist represented the conscience of humanity – Artist was able to change social reality

Futurist art and society n Marinetti: – ”art and literature have an enormous influence upon society” – Art as a tool of social activity – Rejection of the conception ”art for art’s sake” – Social role of artist – Social role of arts

”Arte – vita” n Introduction of life in arts n Profanation of the Enlightened middle-class concept of ”sublime art” – Easy to understand – Art in direct contact with life (antiacademic) – Create corageously ”ugly” – Spite on the althare of the arts n Abolition of the boundaries between art – non art – New art forms: cuisine – New elements to arts: sport

Futurists and the Fascist art n Impossibility to detach from the sociopolitical reality: – ”The political spirit that Mussolini has created is so impressive that the artists could not escape its influence. ” n The propagandistic aim of art: – ”Art must serve a universal, political or nationalistic aim. ”

Aerofuturism n Glorification of the airplanes and aviation n Propaganda of the technological progress of Italy n Nationalistic reasons n The spiritual element of flight: nonmaterialistic dimension of technology

Gerardo Dottori: Aeropittura, 1930’s

Aeropittura di Tato, Dinamismo aereo, 1930’s

”Some strategies to disturb the order” n Anarchism = antagonistic ideology n Avant-garde = aesthetic dimension n Terrorism = strategy of realization

Anarchism, now? n Italy: reorganization of the anarchist movement in 1945 (Federazione anarchica italiana, FAI) n Wikipedia: anarcho-capitalism, green anarchism, anarca-feminism, anarcoprimitivism…

Bourgeois anarchy n Internet: cradle of anarchism, no authority n Collapse of Soviet Union n Growing power of multi-national enterprises n Nation States’ diminishing power n ”Umanità cammina verso l’individualismo anarchico, mèta e sogno d’ogni spirito forte” (Marinetti, 1920)

Futurist Anarchism now (1909 -2009)? n Marinetti’s anarchist strategy – Colourful language – Artistic and extra-artistic manifestations n Aiming at getting attention and at hiding a mediocre writer n Model of the modern intellectual n Television series (The Idols) n Politics (Berlusconi, Lega Nord)

Thanks! ”In everyone of us there is a little Anarchist… at least occasionally!” (M. H. )