In “The Futurist Manifestos”, when explaining the futurist movement, it is clear they wanted everything to be original and rebellious compared to older works. They wanted to “glorify war” and “destroy”. Out of all the initial things said what do you think would be hard for people to go along with? And What might be the most controversial?
Making the Modern World: Europe in the 19th Century
Liberalism and socialism and imperialism, oh my!
I think the most controversial and difficult part of “The Futurist Manifestos” for people to go along with is the demand for the destruction of libraries and museums. Their argument that the future generation should not know what they themselves were doing at the time seems very illogical, especially conserving they were artists themselves. I feel as though this desire to destroy museums could be based on hidden jealousy that their art is not in a museum, yet the art of people who came before them is. While I disagree with the idea of glorifying war, I don’t find it the most controversial or difficult demand, because glorifying war is a very nationalistic mindset, which was very popular at the time.
Personally, I believe that the Futurist’s preoccupation and idolization of war is one of the most problematic aspects of their ideology, as their ninth point is “we wish to glorify War-the only health giver of the world-militarism, patriotism, the destructive arm of the Anarchist, the beautiful Ideas that kill” (10) but what is really interesting to me is the misogynist elements that are placed in their manifesto, as the ninth point finishes with “the contempt for women.” In the same vein, the destruction of the museums and libraries is coupled with the fight against feminism. Although I don’t agree with many of their points, it was fascinating how their distaste for women and femininity are placed almost randomly in their other points.