Manchester University Press
2 Heroes/heroines of Futurist culture
Abstract
This chapter examines the relationship between the concepts of Ubermensch and superuomo to insist upon the unique character of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's concept. It explains how the principle of a superuomo contributed to the gender discourse within Futurist art. Evidently Marinetti's concept of superuomo is far more akin to the traditional superhero, augmented as he is by technology and born outside normal reproductive circumstances. The chapter also examines the nature of Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche's concept. The concept of Ubermensch was distorted in the rhetoric of German National Socialism. Rather, the strength and heroism of the Ubermensch is in his knowledge and acceptance of inexorable human immanence. Nietzsche and Marinetti shared the same dream for a transformation of society, but Nietzsche's mandate for mental transcendence is in direct contrast to Marinetti's longing for physical transcendence.
Abstract
This chapter examines the relationship between the concepts of Ubermensch and superuomo to insist upon the unique character of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's concept. It explains how the principle of a superuomo contributed to the gender discourse within Futurist art. Evidently Marinetti's concept of superuomo is far more akin to the traditional superhero, augmented as he is by technology and born outside normal reproductive circumstances. The chapter also examines the nature of Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche's concept. The concept of Ubermensch was distorted in the rhetoric of German National Socialism. Rather, the strength and heroism of the Ubermensch is in his knowledge and acceptance of inexorable human immanence. Nietzsche and Marinetti shared the same dream for a transformation of society, but Nietzsche's mandate for mental transcendence is in direct contrast to Marinetti's longing for physical transcendence.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- 1 Engaging the crowd 14
- 2 Heroes/heroines of Futurist culture 27
- 3 ‘Out of touch’ 38
- 4 La bomba-romanzo esplosivo, or Dada’s burning heart 56
- 5 Futurist canons and the development of avant-garde historiography (Futurism – Expressionism – Dada) 72
- 6 ‘An infinity of living forms, representative of the absolute’? 95
- 7 The dispute over simultaneity 113
- 8 Fernand Léger’s La noce 133
- 9 Nocturnal itineraries 145
- 10 ‘A hysterical hullo-bulloo about motor cars’ 159
- 11 Futurist Performance, 1910–1916 176
- 12 Le Roi Bombance 195
- 13 The cult of the ‘expressive’ in Italian Futurist poetry 208
- 14 Visual approaches to Futurist aeropoetry 226
- 15 The Untameables 243
- 16 The dark side of Futurism 255
- 17 Rethinking interdisciplinarity 272
- 18 A Very Beautiful Day After Tomorrow 284
- Index 299
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- 1 Engaging the crowd 14
- 2 Heroes/heroines of Futurist culture 27
- 3 ‘Out of touch’ 38
- 4 La bomba-romanzo esplosivo, or Dada’s burning heart 56
- 5 Futurist canons and the development of avant-garde historiography (Futurism – Expressionism – Dada) 72
- 6 ‘An infinity of living forms, representative of the absolute’? 95
- 7 The dispute over simultaneity 113
- 8 Fernand Léger’s La noce 133
- 9 Nocturnal itineraries 145
- 10 ‘A hysterical hullo-bulloo about motor cars’ 159
- 11 Futurist Performance, 1910–1916 176
- 12 Le Roi Bombance 195
- 13 The cult of the ‘expressive’ in Italian Futurist poetry 208
- 14 Visual approaches to Futurist aeropoetry 226
- 15 The Untameables 243
- 16 The dark side of Futurism 255
- 17 Rethinking interdisciplinarity 272
- 18 A Very Beautiful Day After Tomorrow 284
- Index 299
