Giacomo Balla, Form-Spirit- Transformation, 1917. Oil on canvas. Futur-ism
An exhibition tracing the evolution of Futurism’s fascinating and complex attitude toward spirituality is currently showing at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London until Sunday December 23 2007.
Piety and Pragmatism: Spiritualism in Futurist Art includes 45 works by such artists as Giacomo Balla, Gerardo Dottori, Fillia and many other key players of the Futurist movement.
The exhibition also examines the social, political and ideological dimensions of the movement’s stance on all things metaphysical – tracing a line from Marinetti’s preaching of a ‘religion of speed’ in 1916 to the formulation of an arte sacra futurista (Futurist sacred art) in the 1930s.
The latter was penned by FT Marinetti in 1931 and, given the previous hostility of his movement towards the Catholic Church and Christian concepts of morality, the text itself and the works it inspired are together one of the most puzzling tenets of Italian Futurism.
Gerardo Dottori (1884-1977), Madonna and Child, 1924. Water-soluble pencil on paper. Private Collection, Perugia
Spirituality was however a question that Futurism had addressed, albeit obliquely, from its early years, whilst promoting nationalist values very different to those of Catholicism.
Marinetti’s ersatz ‘new religion-morality of speed’ comically subverted Christian categories of sacredness by asserting that ‘if prayer means communication with the divinity, running at high speed is a prayer. One must kneel on the tracks to pray to the divine velocity’.
To cement the complex nationalist tendencies of his movement Marinetti also stated that the only religion of the true Futurist should be ‘the Italy of tomorrow’.
Bruno Tano (1913-42) Winged Madonna, 1931, Oil on board. Museo e Pinacoteca Comunale di Macerata
However, Futurist artists soon began to add a complex metaphysical dimension to their work and during the 1920s, Turin-based artists such as Fillia explored how the machine had influenced the human psyche, stating that ‘to interpret this mechanical spiritualisation is to mark the beginning of a modern SACRED ART’.
The development of ‘aeropainting’ around 1930 also prepared the ground for a deeper exploration of spiritualism, as it aimed not only to capture the visual sensations experienced during flight but also to convey its psychological and metaphysical dimensions. Prampolini’s biomorphic abstractions were also interpreted as visual metaphors for ‘the transcendence of the spirit towards higher states of consciousness’.
Futurism’s hostility to the Catholic Church was finally dealt a deathblow by the political machinations of Mussolini who decided that a more amicable relationship with the Church was likely to increase his popular support.
Nino Vitali (1904-1991) Ascension, 1930s, Oil on faesite. Private Collection, Torino
The new political reality was eventually sealed by the signing of the Lateran Pacts (1929), which guaranteed the Church a significant presence in the life of the State - effectively bringing an end to Futurist hopes of a complete break with the Church.
The changes brought about by this historic agreement probably account for the appearance of the Manifesto dell’arte sacra futurista and the emergence of two of the most prolific and significant creators of Futurist sacred: Fillia – the pseudonym of Luigi Colombo (1904-36) – and Gerardo Dottori (1884-1977).
Although he had long been concerned with the spiritual aspects of artistic creation, Fillia’s interest in specifically religious themes dated from 1930, and the following three years witnessed his most intense activity in this sphere, no doubt stimulated by large exhibitions at Padua (1931), La Spezia (1932) and Florence (1933).
Gerardo Dottori (1884-1977) Crucifixion, 1928, Oil on canvas. Private Collection, Vancouver / Comune di Perugia
Dottori’s interest in religious iconography can be documented from the late 1890s, although his first recognisably ‘Futurist’ works date from the early 1920s.
Work by both artists is featured in the exhibition, whilst a central nucleus is the work created during the early 1930s in accordance with the principles of the new manifesto with dramatic paintings by artists such as Alessandro Bruschetti, Gerardo Dottori, Mino Delle Site, Fillia, Giuseppe Preziosi, Bruno Tano, Ernesto Thayaht and Wladimiro Tulli.
Historical documents such as Futurism’s political and artistic manifestos are also displayed, helping visitors to pick their way through the complexities of the movement and its ideas, whilst information panels provide a comprehensive overview of this fascinating but dark period in European history.
