Futurism
Born in 1909 from Filippo Marinetti’s original poetic vision, Futurism disrupted artistic conventions and traditions to urge collective consciousness to celebrate modernity with all its forces, energies and enthusiasm. Its Manifesto, published in Le Figaro, aimed to illuminate and sweep away the outdated, museum‑like aura of art, turning it into a dynamic representation of the modern world. The movement favoured themes inspired by technological progress and innovation, often celebrating man‑made industrial achievements and engineering prowess. Sensational and hyperbolic, Futurism possessed a strongly rebellious nature, intent on breaking and destroying the old to make room for the new and modern; this attitude even justified forms of violence and vehement attacks on society and cultural heritage. For its vision and principles it was well received by rising Fascism, and Marinetti himself supported the war, ultimately alienating many artists who abandoned the movement. To some extent, Futurism also influenced Russian Futurism or Cubo‑Futurism, although the latter never acknowledged this connection. Its legacy, however, was unequivocally linked to Vorticism and to German Expressionism.