Article
Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso (1876–1944) By Versari, Maria Elena
Article
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was founder and leader of Futurism, the first intellectual and artistic movement that explicitly defined the codes of avant-garde practice in the twentieth century. His work extended across a multiplicity of fields: journalism, poetry, literature, theater, visual arts, politics, but it’s probably his all-encompassing activity as a cultural leader and fosterer of innovation that made him one of the preeminent intellectuals of his time. He implemented and systematized the practice of diffusing avant-garde ideas through manifestos, performances, and happenings, capitalizing on a deliberately magnified antagonistic relation with the tastes of the public at large. His experimentations in visual/verbal relations and stage performances, which led to the creation of free-word poetry and synthetic theater, were pivotal for the development of new modernist codes in poetry and the performing arts.