Futurism

Futurism, a unique phenomenon to the modern era, not only found its roots in many of the arts, but also and most persuasively in politics. The Futurists were the first artists of this century who pledged themselves to ideological activism and devoted their energies and talents to converting he masses to that ideal, rather than to formalizing and promoting their individual artistic merits." The Futurist artistic movement began not through a series of works as most other artistic movements do, but through a series of manifests.

As with most movements, there was one central figure who was the driving force behind the entire Futurist movement, Filipo Tommaso Marinetti. Marinetti was a lawyer and an artist who had a great interest in reshaping the arts, and after graduating from undergraduate and law school, began publishing a controversial literary magazine, "Poesia." The magazine dealt with what Marinetti felt was a static and obsolete past, and expressed the desire for a new and innovative society. Another goal of Marinetti's magazine was to incite political activism, which was being suppressed by a monarchy run by King Victor Emmanuel III, interested in pacifying dissidents. Marinetti focused all of his rancor at the King and urged the citizens of Italy to protest the cruel treatment they were receiving. He also proposed that Italy should become a more integral member of the European community and blamed the King for the inability of Italy to become a major country in the areas of European policy, as Europe was often dominated by the stronger countries of England and Germany.

http://www-camil.music.uiuc.edu/Projects/EAM/Futurism.html (source of above description)


for more on Futurism see:

http://www.unknown.nu/futurism/ (for a great selection of manefestos)