Futurism in Occupied Fiume, 1919–1920
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Günter Berghaus
Abstract
This essay outlines the political framework and organizational structures of the Futurist activities in Fiume (Rijeka) during Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Fiume exploit, as well as in the years preceding and following it. It discusses the heterogeneous character of the Futurists and of Futurist-inclined groups, leaders and members, as well as their theoretical statements and artistic enterprises. Artists of diverse colours poured into Fiume in 1919-1920 and created an exceptional environment, where radical dreams and Utopian concepts were translated into a new life practice. The Futurists were at the forefront of these social experiments and achieved an ephemeral realization of their long-cherished aspiration “to destroy and to create” and “to fuse art with life”. The city of Fiume in 1919-1920 seemed to offer a model of how to build a new civilization on the ruins of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman empires. The Futurist activities in Fiume were largely directed by the Fascio futurista fiumanese, led by Mario Carli and Ferruccio Vecchi, and by the Yoga group founded by Guido Keller. They saw in the Fiume adventure a prelude to an Italian revolution in a Futurist mould, where creativity and imagination would take over the reins of power. Although Marinetti only stayed a fortnight in Fiume, he was part of at least two plots to extend the Impresa to other parts of Italy. This essay also discusses the visionary concepts outlined in Futurist manifestos and programmatic statements published in Fiume and investigates to what degree they were given concrete realization in festivals, social rituals and libertarian artistic creations.
Abstract
This essay outlines the political framework and organizational structures of the Futurist activities in Fiume (Rijeka) during Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Fiume exploit, as well as in the years preceding and following it. It discusses the heterogeneous character of the Futurists and of Futurist-inclined groups, leaders and members, as well as their theoretical statements and artistic enterprises. Artists of diverse colours poured into Fiume in 1919-1920 and created an exceptional environment, where radical dreams and Utopian concepts were translated into a new life practice. The Futurists were at the forefront of these social experiments and achieved an ephemeral realization of their long-cherished aspiration “to destroy and to create” and “to fuse art with life”. The city of Fiume in 1919-1920 seemed to offer a model of how to build a new civilization on the ruins of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman empires. The Futurist activities in Fiume were largely directed by the Fascio futurista fiumanese, led by Mario Carli and Ferruccio Vecchi, and by the Yoga group founded by Guido Keller. They saw in the Fiume adventure a prelude to an Italian revolution in a Futurist mould, where creativity and imagination would take over the reins of power. Although Marinetti only stayed a fortnight in Fiume, he was part of at least two plots to extend the Impresa to other parts of Italy. This essay also discusses the visionary concepts outlined in Futurist manifestos and programmatic statements published in Fiume and investigates to what degree they were given concrete realization in festivals, social rituals and libertarian artistic creations.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- Editorial IX
-
Section 1: Futurism Studies
- The Futurist Manifestos of Early 1910: Dates and Editions Reconsidered 1
- From Bologna to the World: The International Futurism of Athos Casarini 51
- Parisian Rivalries before the War: Futurism and Cubism as Enemy Brothers (1912–1914) 93
- Futurism in Occupied Fiume, 1919–1920 123
- Italian Futurism between Fascism, Modernism and Nazi Germany 163
- Vasily Kamensky and F. T. Marinetti: Italian Words-in-Freedom and Russian Typographic Visual Poetry 189
- The Scream of the Boor: Bruno Jasieński and the Politics of Art in Polish Futurism 225
- A Rêve onanistique: Futurism and Portuguese National Identity in Raul Leal’s Correspondence with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti 247
- Futurism in Goa: Early Interactions with Marinetti in Portugal’s Colony in India 279
- Out of the Archive: Marinetti in Cambridge (1914) 307
-
Section 2: Obituaries and Anniversaries
- Mariana Aguirre (1977–2022): Obituary 327
- Akademiia Zaumi 339
- The 100th Anniversary of Zenit (1921–2021): Futurism and the Yugoslav Avant-garde 349
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Section 3: Critical Responses to Exhibitions, Conferences and Publications
- Cesare Andreoni (1903–1961), a Futurist in Milan: A Study Day Promoted by the Archivio Cesare Andreoni in Milan 359
- Aroldo Bonzagni and His (almost) Futurist Epoch 367
- Italian Futurism in the Gianni Mattioli Collection Presented in Russia (2021) 375
- Depero New Depero: Rovereto Presents the Artist and His Reception after 1960 385
- The Futurist Novel before and After the First World War 399
- Paolo Buzzi and the Futurist chiaro di luna 405
- Gian Pietro Lucini in Context: Futurism and the Pursuit of a New ‘Avant-garde’ 413
- Fortunato Depero’s ‘Bolted Book’ 419
- Visualizing the Invisible: Photography and Futurist Art 427
- The Permanent Revolution of Fascist Art 433
- Space, Geography and Centre-Periphery Relations: New Perspectives on Ultraism and Estridentism, 1918–1927 439
- Ilya Zdanevich (Iliazd): Ambassador of Georgian Futurism 445
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Section 4: Bibliography
- A Bibliography of Publications on Futurism, 2019–2022 465
-
Section 5: Back Matter
- List of Illustrations and Provenance Descriptions 493
- Notes on Contributors 501
- Name Index 509
- Subject Index 541
- Geographical Index 571
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- Editorial IX
-
Section 1: Futurism Studies
- The Futurist Manifestos of Early 1910: Dates and Editions Reconsidered 1
- From Bologna to the World: The International Futurism of Athos Casarini 51
- Parisian Rivalries before the War: Futurism and Cubism as Enemy Brothers (1912–1914) 93
- Futurism in Occupied Fiume, 1919–1920 123
- Italian Futurism between Fascism, Modernism and Nazi Germany 163
- Vasily Kamensky and F. T. Marinetti: Italian Words-in-Freedom and Russian Typographic Visual Poetry 189
- The Scream of the Boor: Bruno Jasieński and the Politics of Art in Polish Futurism 225
- A Rêve onanistique: Futurism and Portuguese National Identity in Raul Leal’s Correspondence with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti 247
- Futurism in Goa: Early Interactions with Marinetti in Portugal’s Colony in India 279
- Out of the Archive: Marinetti in Cambridge (1914) 307
-
Section 2: Obituaries and Anniversaries
- Mariana Aguirre (1977–2022): Obituary 327
- Akademiia Zaumi 339
- The 100th Anniversary of Zenit (1921–2021): Futurism and the Yugoslav Avant-garde 349
-
Section 3: Critical Responses to Exhibitions, Conferences and Publications
- Cesare Andreoni (1903–1961), a Futurist in Milan: A Study Day Promoted by the Archivio Cesare Andreoni in Milan 359
- Aroldo Bonzagni and His (almost) Futurist Epoch 367
- Italian Futurism in the Gianni Mattioli Collection Presented in Russia (2021) 375
- Depero New Depero: Rovereto Presents the Artist and His Reception after 1960 385
- The Futurist Novel before and After the First World War 399
- Paolo Buzzi and the Futurist chiaro di luna 405
- Gian Pietro Lucini in Context: Futurism and the Pursuit of a New ‘Avant-garde’ 413
- Fortunato Depero’s ‘Bolted Book’ 419
- Visualizing the Invisible: Photography and Futurist Art 427
- The Permanent Revolution of Fascist Art 433
- Space, Geography and Centre-Periphery Relations: New Perspectives on Ultraism and Estridentism, 1918–1927 439
- Ilya Zdanevich (Iliazd): Ambassador of Georgian Futurism 445
-
Section 4: Bibliography
- A Bibliography of Publications on Futurism, 2019–2022 465
-
Section 5: Back Matter
- List of Illustrations and Provenance Descriptions 493
- Notes on Contributors 501
- Name Index 509
- Subject Index 541
- Geographical Index 571
