Eric Chan

Futurist Manifestos (architecture, theatre, cinema, dance)

Architecture, theatre, cinema, and dance are often expelled as unimportant in today’s society. They are unappreciated forms of art that are criticized as cheap entertainment. Antonio Sant’Elia and Filippo Marinetti disagree however. In troubled times such as World War II, Marinetti expressed his conceptions of theatre, cinema, and dance in the form of Futurist Manifestoes. He outlined the impact of staging performances in these arts to vitalize the war effort and keep morale elevated. Sant’Elia wrote the Manifesto of Futurist Architecture as an address to architecture’s declining quality and mimicry. Each of these manifestoes put forth an emphasis on their subject’s past, their current quality, and their requirement to change for the greater good of Italy. Each felt an equally important role in the future of the development of Italy.

Antonio Sant’Elia felt that architects were forfeiting their modern ideas for fear of failure. They would simply take passéist structures and pin on a cheap style to appear different. Sant’Elia felt that Neoclassicism would slow Italy’s outgrowth because it tended to the needs of society five or six centuries old, rather than that of modern society with computers and machines. He was compelled to start a new wave of architecture, which was practical for modern community, yet still artistic. Sant’Elia knew that if Italy was to progress into the future, it had to cease holding onto its past.

Fillippo Marinetti was also tiring of the theatre. During times such as World War II, the theatre was much too passive to inspire confidence in the war effort. There needed to be an aggressive change that would combat the antithesis of passéist theatre. Marinetti wrote the Futurist Synthetic Theatre as a type of propaganda for the Futurist Political Party. But not only was theatre lacking, but cinema and dance as well. Marinetti believed the cinema was the evolution of books. Books could no longer interest the public; therefore the cinema had to take a hearty step forward. Marinette believed the cinema to be the combination of all expressive means of art and consequently one of the most powerful means of inspiration. It would relate to theatre, but it must never mimic it.

Dance was another performance of significance. Pioneers such as Isadora Duncan and Luigi Russolo wished to free dance from its oppressive routine. Isadora Duncan yearned to intensify dance’s portrayal of eroticism, while Russolo created the three dances of war: the Dance of the Shrapnel, Machine Gun, and Aviatrix. Dance became music’s equal if not superior. It began to erect a sense of heroism to push the war effort. Dance would once again, reenter the futurist art movement.

Each art was given the stage to evolve and leave behind the passéist shackles. The Futurist Manifestoes helped to inspire a movement for the greater good of the country. Whether that was the country’s efforts in the war, or the fulfillment of a modern society, each art was held equally important in the community. Only one question remains; is it right to employ art as a form of weapon or propaganda in as delicate times as World War II? Does it stray beyond the point of personal artistic expression into a dictation of opinion upon the community?

Bibliography

(For summary and background notes)

Sant’Elia, Antonio. Manifesto of Futurist Architecture, 1914. (FF, pp. 418-420.)

Marinetti, Filippo, Bruno Corra, and Emilio Senttimelli, Futurist Synthetic Theatre, 1915. (FF, pp. 587-588.)
Marinetti, Filippo, Bruno Corra, Emilio Senttimelli, Arnaldo Ginna, Giocomo Balla, and Remo Chiti, Futurist Cinema, 1916. (FF pp. 451-452.)

Marinetti, Filippo. Manifesto of Futurist Dance, 1917. (MSW, pp. 137-141.)

(no author specified). “Antonio Sant’Elia.” [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Sant%27elia, September 4, 2006.

(no author specified). “Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.” [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Marinetti, September 20, 2006.

Gwendolyn Elliott

Sant’Elia, Antonio. Manifesto of Futuristic Architecture. 1914. (FF, pp. 418-420.)

Point of View

• “No architecture has existed since the 18th century. What is called modern architecture is a senseless mixture of different stylistic elements used to mask the skeletons of houses.”
• New architects is just moulding together many inspirations from older architecture — Byzantine, Egyptian, Neoclassic (which he names with great distaste)
• Architects are not utilising the new materials, new science and new technology
• Copying old styles becomes problematic when using new materials because such materials cannot capture the meaning and feel of old ways: “…the architect has tried to use the lightness and superb grace of the iron beam, the fragility of reinforced concrete, to render the heavy curve of the arch and weight of marble.”
• Has great respect for new ways: technology, science, materials, ways of life, expansive urban areas
• Desires for new architects to break out of the mould they are taught to stay in and rather than derive inspiration from others, find genius within
• Architecture should be efficient, based on necessity, new lifestyles
• Old forms should be scrapped, new forms should be brought in that are entirely radical and revolutionary- made of glass, steel and iron.
• Believes that people were steering away from “cathedrals, palaces, podiums” and new lifestyles include “men of great hotels, railway stations, wide streets, colossal ports, covered markets, luminous arcades, straight roads and beneficial demolitions”
• New lifestyles demand new building styles to accommodate new needs

Connections to Class

• Converse to the inspiration that has been encouraged in class, Sant’Elia discourages it because it runs the risk of being unoriginal and copying others too closely without real personal creativity
• Sant’Elia thinks inspiration should lead to new radical, revolutionary discoveries, not just a recreation of the wheel

Context

• Sant’Elia was an architect
• Industrial revolution
• Technological boom
• Time of technological optimism — anything seemed possible

Some things to think about

1. How might the context that this article was written in have affected Sant’Elia’s opinion?
2. What is your personal opinion on the issues presented and the relevancy of the issues?

 

Marinetti, Filippo, Bruno Corra, Emilio Settimelli, Arnaldo Ginna. Giacomo Balla and Remo Chiti, Futurist Cinema, 1916. (FF, pp. 451-452.)

Point of View

• See film as all-encompassing art form — should utilise sculpture, painting, dance
• Film should: never be like theatre; not copy conventions or concepts; cut all ties; not necessarily be used for cut and dried narrative form
• Film should be used for more radical ideas, experimentation
• Film should be an outlet for all artists feeling boxed in by their disciplines
• Saw new way of designing a fantasy world — a new one for us to live in and experience
• Some of these radical ideas include:
1. Cinematic Analogies — instead of describing an emotion, the images shown will represent that emotion – “…various phases of suffering…jagged cavernous mountain.”
2. Cinematic Poems, Speeches and poetry — images spoken of will appear on the screen
3. Cinematic Simultaneity — watching more than one screen at a time
4. Many concepts for filming unreal reconstructions and distortion of our world

The Authors of this article saw film as having no limits whatsoever. They saw it was a way to express abstract ideas, to experiment and to free the individual from the conventions of all other art forms, while encompassing all creations of art. Film, in its early days had no conventions and was open to any kind of experimentation and use. If film were to work within the confines of stage theatre, it would forever lose the ability to distort the world for artistic expression, which the authors considered a principle importance.

Some things to think about:

1. Do you think we have attained the dreams of the authors?
2. How did the introduction of sound forever change the possibilities of film?
3. Do you appreciate the authors’ ideas?

Garett Oliver

The main focus on the readings is Manifesto’s, and how they’ve evolved into the popular Futurist perspective. It’s an act of breaking down preconceived conventions into again this futurist form.  In Manifesto of Futurist Architecture modern architecture is described as being senseless, covering up the skeleton of modern houses. Futurism architecture is told should be a projection of ourselves. A rich combination of technology and new forms fits the lifestyle that perfectly responds to us. By making a breakdown of tradition, a fresh style is created. It’s described as being bold and becoming something that hadn’t already existed.

Similarly, in The Futurist Synthetic Theatre the interest lies in an Italian style of theatre with a war like spirit. Like Architecture, it seeks not use cover but to become synthetic, as in very brief. Then there are then demands of technique to achieve this Futurist idea. For example to omit everything that doesn’t appeal to an audience. It describes Futurist theatre as being independent. In relation to cinema, the acts within theatre can win the competition against it.

In The Futurist Cinema, it takes off from theatre saying that the revolution in the Italian prose theatre has begun and that cinema should be considered a new theatrical area. Again, like the previous two manifesto’s, this one must be freed as an expressive medium so it may become a free art. Film can include all great works, to show all forms of ideas.

Finally, in Manifesto of the Futurist Dance, Dance was described as becoming an autonomous art and that rather than being submitted to the music, it replaced it. To further emphasise the Futurist dance, a human-mechanical dance was demonstrated to represent the new human mechanical life, similar to the Architecture Manifesto.

David Pyra

Manifesto of Futurist Architecture, Sant’Elia, Antonio, 1914. 

• Antonio Sant’Elia’s manifesto argues their have been no recent advancements in architecture since the 1700’s.
• He admires the use of science and technology, using new shapes, lines and forms  in the building processes of the future.
• Modern architecture design is much more malleable, and free flowing in comparison with architecture by the Egyptians or Greeks.
• Sant’Elia argues against and despises:  Classic architecture, the reconstruction, replication or embalming of this classic architecture, The over abundance of costly materials, and oppressive simple designs consisting of basic vertical and horizontal line patterns.
• But Sant’Elia argues in favour of: materials such as glass, wood, stone, brick, and concrete that allows maximum strength and flexibility, The expression and synthesis visible in the structure, Dynamic lines that evoke powerful expression within the work, and that the structure is a means for man and his environment to fuse together and become one. 

The Future Synthetic Theatre, Marinetti, Filippo, pp. 587-588 

• Marinetti’s belief is that the futurist theatre will by “synthetic”, which is a fabrication, or something that is constructed to look a certain way.
• He also believes that mechanically,  by force of our modern conciseness a futuristic type of theatre can be achieved. The theatre must also conform to public taste, focus on a single character placed around many other pointless artifacts or people.
• Marinetti concludes by saying: Technique of theatre needs to be abandoned, Inspiration, improvisation are to be exemplified in the futuristic theatre. The need to rid the theatre of farce, vaudeville, pochade, comedy and serious drama is stressed, and the need to incorporate free dialogue, sensation, scientific exploration, and simultaneity into theatre is greatly advised.
• Marinetti’s focuses on the efforts to keep a connection between the stage members and the audience, in order to “instill in our audiences the dynamic vivacity of a new futurist theatricality.” 
  

The Futurist Cinema, Marinetti, Filippo, pp. 451-452 

• Looking at cinema, because it is such a new form of media it lacks a past. Because cinema is an “autononmous art form” it cannot copy the theatre.
• Cinema must follow a specific element in storytelling and detach itself from reality.
• Marinetti’s thesis states that the art form of cinema should no be seen as an expressive form of media so it can be veiwed as a new form of art.
• He also states that the futurist cinema will consist of various artistic elements, and expressions new to the realm people know of today.
• Marinetti concludes Marinnetti concludes by saying: The use of analogies and reality will be enforced to convey a certain style, and evoke a specific emotion or feeling from the character.  Components from speeches, poems and poetry will be conveyed on screen in all their entirety .  Displaying various times, and places siemotaniously, the use of extravagant symphonies, Over exemplarity various thoughts and feeling on screen, showing various absurd intriguing thoughts and ideas on film and experiementing with two vastly different medias and/or art forms and implementing them onto one media–film.  

Manifesto of Futurist Dance, 1917. (MSW, pp. 137-141.)

• A variety of different European dances formed after the death of Italian Ballet. Different artists incorporated their syles, rythem and interpretation to various dances.
• The Futurist dance will be a collision of organized noise fused with an orchestra of special effects.
• The dance of the Machine Gun incorporates such moves as clapping to simulate bullets being fired, open spinning arms which simulate shrapnel and debris falling to the earth, and violent thrusts of the body which simulate the force and power of a human.
• Dance of the Shrapnel various steps are as follows: feet slamming the floor to simulate canons blasting projectiles, bodies spread apart with arms out, and heavy body vibrations.

The Third dance The dance of the Aviatrix is as follows: Lying on the floor and jerking forward– simulate a planes take off. Organized noise to simulate the rain, the sighing of the

Robert Renda

The four Manifestos that were read were about four different disciplines of art, but they all had one feature in common: they all expressed an idea of change from what the art form is like culturally to a Futurist ideal. The four areas of art that were discussed were painting, sculpture, poetry and music.

Futurist Painting:

• The gesture which Futurist painters reproduce shall no longer be a fixed moment in universal dynamism, it shall plainly be the dynamic sensation itself
• A portrait must not be like the sitter, the painter carries in his/herself the landscapes that he/she can put on the canvas
• Painting a human figure is not simply painting it, you have to bring in all of its surroundings
• Space no longer exists in Futurist painting
• To visualize and understand the original beauty of a Futurist painting, the soul has to be purified, the eye freed of culture, so that the eye can look upon Nature and not upon the museum as the only standard
• Painting cannot exist today without Divisionism. Divisionism must be an innate complementariness that we declare to be essential and necessary

Futurist Sculpture:

• Its aim is an abstract reconstruction of planes and volumes that determine form
• Abolishing sculpture as the traditional “sublime” subject matter
• Perceives the body and its parts as plastic zones
• What the Futurist sculptor creates is a bridge that joins the exterior plastic infinite to the interior plastic infinite, which is why objects never end.
• One must destroy the systematic use of the nude and the accepted concept of the stature and the monument

Futurist Poetry:

• Words-in-freedom: bring us to essence of the material; will have: condensed metaphors, telegraphic images, maximum vibrations, nodes of thought, closed or open fans of movement, compressed analogies, color balances, dimensions, weights, measures, and the speed of sensations, the plunge of the essential word into water of sensibility, restful moments of intuition, movements in numerous rhythms, the analytic, exploratory poles the carry on the bundle of intuitive strings
• Death of the free verse: it is now replaces by words-in-freedom; free verse fatally pushes the poet towards facile sound effects, stale double meanings, a fooling chiming, and an predictable echo-play, which is internal and external; it artificially channels the flow of lyric emotion between the high walls of syntax and the walls of grammar.
• The imagination without strings: absolute freedom of images and analogies, expressed with no connecting strings of syntax and with no punctuation; bring us the essence of material

Starleana Scott

Position of the Author and Brief Summary:

• Primarily draws attention to the fact that the only way to inspire Italians with the “warlike spirit” is to completely change the way that theatre is presented to the masses in Italy
• Theatre is so important because approximately 90% of Italians attend it, while other art forms and methods of transmission of public information are much less regarded
• The old theatre was passéist (a thing of the past that was dull, monotonous, and meek) and must be replaced with Futurist Theatre (“fierce, overwhelming” with the “velocity of war”)

Futurist Theatre must be:

• Synthetic (very brief)
• Atechnical (not subject to the demands of technical theatre – inspiration, not technique)
• Realistic (anti-theatrical; not conventional theatre)
• Not created purely for the entertainment of the masses
• Broad ideas – not too much detail
• Continuously pushing the boundaries of unexplored ideas in theatre
• Dynamic (spontaneous; frequently improvised > never created out of the theatrical atmosphere)
• Autonomous (resembling only itself; not subject to logic > completely new)

• The reasons for the birth of Futurist theatre: (1) The passion for the swift moving and complicated society of today; and (2) the modern definition of art (no specifications/regulations may be placed on an artist’s imagination

• Conclusions: abolish old, conventional theatre; draw new inspirations; explore darkest corners of audiences’ imaginations; no boundaries in between audience and stage; work with the players/actors; abolish all old forms, and bring in new (i.e. “free dialogue, simultaneity, interpenetration, dramatized sensation, scripted laughter, the negative act, the reechoing line…” etc.

Question: How, if at all, has this manifesto implemented itself in the procedure and presentation of modern theatre? Does Marinetti take his idea of Futurism in theatre too far?

Domenic Sgambelluri

Reading #1

In his work Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture, Sant’Elia argues, “Modern building materials and scientific concepts are absolutely incompatible with the discipline of historic styles” (Sant’Elia 418), and proposes that we eliminate the use of these classic architectural models in order to create new designs that better serve the needs of modern-day societies. Stressing the importance of the re-invention of the city as society progresses towards more sophisticated technologies, he states “We must invent and rebuild the Futurist city like an immense, tumultuous, construction-yard, agile, mobile and dynamic in every detail; and the Futurist house must be like a gigantic machine”(Sant’Elia 419).  Sant’Elia recognizes that modern architects are not making logical use of space arguing that “roofs and underground spaces must be used”(Sant’Elia 419). He criticizes the current methods used to design the city streets, offering new suggestions “the street will no longer lie like a doormat at ground level, but plunge down into the earth with multiple levels carrying the metropolitan traffic”(Sant’Elia 419). Finally, Sant’Elia says that modern architects have an obligation to “find inspiration in the elements of the utterly new mechanical world we have created”(Sant’Elia 420) .

Reading #2

With the approach of the great war, Mainetti, through his writing Futurist Synthetic Theatre, states that “books and reviews are un-necessary” (Marinetti 587), as they “chill enthusiasm, check impulses and poison a people at war with doubts”(Marinetti 587) Books were only used by a small minority of Italy’s population, while nearly ninety percent of Italians attended the theatre, Marinetti recognized that “the only way to inspire Italy with the warlike spirit today is through theatre” (Marinetti 587).  He continues to criticize modern theatre for its technique, providing insights as to how “futurist theatre” will be run. Marinetti states that “The Futurist theatre will be able to excite its audience and make it forget the monotony of daily life by thrusting it through a labyrinth of uttery original sensations combined in unpredictable ways”(Marinetti 588).

Reading #3

Marinetti addresses the subject of cinema in his writing The Futurist Cinema. A new form of art at the time, he argues “The cinema must be freed as an expressive medium so that it may become the ideal instrument of a new art, much wider and more flexible than any existing art” (Marinetti 451). At a time before audio was used in film, he presents new ideas to help enhance the experience such as the use of imagery to portray sensations, for example: “to create a sensation of bizarre hilarity we can show a group of chairs flying gaily around an enormous coat-stand until they decide to hang themselves up” (Marinetti 451). Another idea proposed by Marinetti is to make use of flashing images to portray what is going through the character’s mind, stating “our characters will be as easy to understand as if they talked”(Marinetti 451).

Reading #4

Dance, commonly understood as dependent on music was undergoing a change with the creation of Futurist Dance. Marinetti in his writing Manifesto of Futurist Dance, examines this new form of dance, understanding that “Dance became an autonomous art, the music’s equal. Dance no longer submitted to the music, it replaced it”(Marinetti 138). He states “The Futurist dance will therefore be accompanied by organized noises and by the orchestra of special effects [intonarumori] invented by Luigi Russolo” (Marinetti 138). Marinetti provides examples of Futuristic dance such as “Dance of the Shrapnel”, “Dance of the Machine Gun” and “Dance of the Aviatrix”.

Bibliographic Information

1. Sant’Elia, Antonio. Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture, 1912. (FF, pp. 418-420.)
2. Marinetti, Filippo, Bruno Corra, and Emilio Settimelli. Futurist Synthetic Theatre, 1915. (FF, pp. 587-588.)
3. Marinetti, Filippo, Bruno Corra, Emilio Settimelli, Arnaldo Ginna, Giacomo  Balla, and Remo Chiti. Futurist Cinema, 1916. (FF, pp. 451-452.)
4. Marinetti, Filippo. Manifesto of Futurist Dance, 1917. (MSW, pp. 137-141.)

Natalie Sirianni

The selected readings for this report include four futurist manifestos focusing on different aspects of the futurist movement. Two of the manifestos are outlined by Umberto Boccioni in "Futurist Painting: Technical Manifesto" and "Technical Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture" the other two are "Destruction of Syntax-Imagine without strings - Words" by F.T Marinetti and "The Art of Noises" by Lungi Russolo.

In defining what exactly the futurist movement strives to encapsulate all four manifestos include common ideas about the characteristics of futurist works and also the strictness of their regime. One major aspect of futurism is the relentless way in which the futurists characterize their own movement as a true renewal of art. Futurists believe that every past attempt at a new art form had previously been derived from another source usually straight from classic or traditional ideas of art; therefore these movements are not renewals in the futurist perspective. Their separate entity of art can be created by seeking "the style of movement" or incorporating outside forces into the physical aspect of the figure. All manifestos favor a focus on sensations where movement and light become explicit to a piece to take direct effect to the subject in question with the ability to penetrate, deconstruct, or appear on the subject physically. Another important feature of Futurism is the subject matter and the way in which it was portrayed for all other subject had to be "...swept aside in order to express (their) whirling life of steel, of pride, of fever, and of speed" (1).

In process of renewing art, in this case painting, sculpture, writing and music the Futurists present a very strict outline in their manifestos that if not followed will disregard a piece as true futurism. I disagree with the futurist approach to justify and gain movement as they are extremely forceful about their opinions and what thy are striving for so much so that I feel the futurist perspective becomes narrow in its search for renewal. The four manifestos are complete with numbered guidelines of the movement, highlighting the finer points which I feel creates a box for an artist to work in. Along with this there are elements of superiority that come across as offensive for example "Is there anything more ridiculous than the sight of twenty men bent on redoubling the mewing of a violin?" (2). This quote is in the context of the futurist perspective in music where noises are to be substituted for sounds. To justify the futurist movement the futurists are essentially belittling past movements in their arrogance. As I had previously mentioned the movement comes across as narrow which arises the important question of weather on a whole are the futurists unappreciative in the ways art can be expressed and does their manifestations because they are so strict ruin the credibility of their art as self expression?

Ashton Williams

In the four readings we were introduced to the various manifestoes of the famous futurists. A manifesto is a decree of a group basically outlining their founding principles and ideals and, in this case, their reasoning. It is, in simple terms, an extremist mission statement. The four manifestoes I read dealt with painting, sculpture, poetry and music.  They dismiss the works of those traditionally accepted as “good art” and expressed disdain for tradition and believed in dynamic originality in all art forms. Each outlined the futurist definition of each art in detail. They had specific instructions on exactly how each should be executed in order to promote the futurist way of life. However in this report I will focus on the interwoven principles that connect the four readings.

Common to the futurist way, there is this obsession with speed and movement. All art forms depict this need for speed, constant movement and propulsion into the future shattering the “norms” in different ways. These manifestoes focused on modernizing the art world through revolutionary change. From banning nudes, to reintroducing noise as music it was evident that the futurists sought to unravel society and break convention. Out with the old in with the new and always continue to progress and move forward seemed to be screamed throughout the readings.

As you read these revolutionary texts, you begin to notice another common theme: contradiction. As each manifesto sought to liberate people from old stale ideas, this liberation was on the condition that you embraced their ideals which were often confusing contradictions. They aim for a break in tradition and dismissal of convention by reinstating their own. While the futurists believed in evolution, many of their ideas, in my opinion reverted back to the past ways  life and seemed outdated. For example in the art of noise we are told that we need to go back to the music of man that was our everyday surrounding noises that should b accepted as music. But in the manifestoes for painting and sculpture, we revolt against the ways of the old and create an avant-garde art. I found th readings to stress the sam points, but the hold the same weakness of contradiction.

Futurist Manifestoes

• Boccioni Umberto, Carl Carrà, Luigi Russolo, Giacomo Balla an Gino Severini. Futurist
• Painting: Technical Manifesto, 1912. (Art in Theory 1900-1990: An Anthropology of Changing Ideas. Ed. Charles Harrion and Paul WOD Oxford: Blackwell, 1992. (Pp.149 - 152)(AT)
• Boccioni, Umberto. Technical Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture, 1912. (Hulton, Pontus. Futurism and Futurisms. Venice: Palazzo Grassi, 1986, (pp. 431, 433)(FF)
• Marinetti, Fillipo. Destruction of Syntex/Imagination without Strings/Words- In-Freedom (on layout and typography), 1913. (WEB www.unknown.nu/futurism/destruction.html)
• Russolo, Luigi. The Art of Noises, 1913. (FF, pp. 560 - 562)