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Anarcho-Futurism, also known as Futurist Anarchism, is an 
anarchist, 
anti-fascist, 
anti-capitalist and 
culturally revolutionary ideology that combines anarchist politics and thought, often 
insurrectionary, 
individualist or 
syndicalist strands of anarchism, with the values of 
Futurism, including but not limited to 
speed, 
violence, 
cultural rejuvenation, 
rejection of tradition and the past and 
embrace of action, passion and emotion. In addition to the writings of 
F.T. Marinetti and assorted 
Italian and 
Russian Futurists, it is also heavily influenced by the writings of 
Friedrich Nietzsche and occasionally 
Max Stirner. Despite borrowing elements of Marinetti's thought, Anarcho-Futurism rejects classical Futurism's 
enthusiasm for fascism, alignment with 
Benito Mussolini and the 
Italian Fascist regime and compromise with 
conservative and 
bourgeois elements of society.
History
The Anarchist Roots of Italian Futurism 
From its very inception, the 
Futurist art movement and its political ideology has been heavily influenced by anarchist ideas. At the beginning of the 20th century, Italian poet Filippo Tomasso Marinetti, the movement's founder, regularly attended anarchist meetings and had befriended a number of prominent anarcho-syndicalists. The ninth point of the 
Manifesto of Futurism, published in February 1909, spoke of the glorification of "the destructive gesture of the anarchists" (sometimes also translated as "libertarians" or "freedom bringers") and throughout 1909-1910, seeing similarities between the beaux gestes libertaires of anarchists and the art-action espoused by Futurism, Marinetti had attempted to gain support from various anarchist groups in order to form an alliance of revolutionaries in both politics and the arts, including suggesting collaboration between 
"the extremes of politics and literature" in the anarchist journal La demolizione in March 1910. Despite initial interest from anarchists, 
socialists and 
syndicalists towards Marinetti's ideas, he had begun distancing Futurism from anarchism by 1911. In Le futurisme, Marinetti argued that anarchist thought "brings its forward-looking viewpoint to a halt in the ideal of 
universal peace" and that only political Futurism advocated for the "continuous development and 
unending progress, both bodily and intellectual, of man". Although over time a large number of Italian Futurists aligned themselves with the rising 
Fascist movement, several Futurists who deviated from Marinetti sought to 
combine elements of Futurism with their anarchist beliefs.
Dissenting Voices and the Futuristi di Sinistra 
One of the first anarcho-futurists to criticise Marinetti was lawyer and journalist Renzo Provinciali. In his 1912 manifesto Futurism and Anarchy, Provinciali argues that a revolutionary and avant-garde artistic movement such as Futurism was wholly incompatible with the bourgeois politics that Marinetti failed to denounce, professing anarchism to be the truest political expression of Futurist values, going on to ask "How is it possible to imagine a bourgeois art in an anarchist society, or a futurist art in a bourgeois society?".
Furthermore, throughout the 1910s and early 1920s, a number of individualist anarchists in 
Italy aligned themselves with 
leftist currents of the Futurist art movement, among these being the poet, philosopher and militant 
Renzo Novatore. Novatore was also involved as a member with the militant anti-fascist 
Arditi del Popolo alongside fellow anarchist and Futurist Auro d'Arcola. Other such "futurists on the left" (futuristi di sinistra as known in Italian) who associated with Novatore or drew heavily from individualist anarchist ideas were Giovanni Governato, Dante Carnesecchi and Leda Rafanelli. Painter Carlo Carrà was one prominent Futurist artist who held anarchist views in his youth, also having a brief relationship with Rafanelli, though Carrà would soon turn to 
ultranationalism and 
irridentism, supporting fascism from 1918 onwards.
Unlike Marinetti and his Futurist Political Party, which was absorbed into the 
Fasci Italiani di Combattimento in 1919, the individualistic anarcho-futurists did not have much influence over contemporary Italian politics. While a shift away from Marinetti's ideas among the futurists of the left had already taken place over the past decade, after the rise of Benito Mussolini to power in Italy in 1922, many anarchists who had initially allied themselves with the movement abandoned Futurism entirely.
Modern Anarcho-Futurism
WIP
Beliefs
Futurism
WIP
Anarchism
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Personality and behaviour
WIP
How to draw
- Draw a ball with a diagonal line running across it.
- Colour the upper section in red and the lower section in black.
- Draw, in white, a hand holding a burning torch in the center of the ball.
- Add the eyes and you're done!
| Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #FF0000 | 255, 0, 0 | |
| Black | #141414 | 20, 20, 20 | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | |
Relationships
Friends
- Anarchism without Adjectives - Anarchism has always been Futurist, with its rage against exploitation, authority and conventionalism, and anarchists will be the ones to carry forth the Futurist ideal!
Anarcho-Communism - A worthy comrade, albeit blinded by utopian visions of universal peace and frolicking in flower fields. Nothing but eternal progress and struggle, fought with fire in our hearts!
Anarcho-Individualism - Fellow champion of the individual creative spirit! You're pretty much me, but with a lot less avant-garde art.- Anarcho-Syndicalism - My main means of praxis in my earlier days! Also, we both like
Sorel's work quite a lot. - Futurism - Leave tradition and the past as a burning, smoldering wreck in a gesture of anarchic passion! Down with bourgeoise art and culture!
Illegalism - Renzo Novatore was based!
Insurrectionary Anarchism - Violenza! Furia! Rivolta! Take up arms against the tyranny of traditional order!
Post-Leftism - Fellow anarchist who rejects moralistic and utilitarian dogmas too. But you need virility and vitality, less philosophical pondering, more focus on beauty through action!
Frenemies
Anarcho-Pacifism - A fellow anarchist, but misguided and led astray. Revolution is struggle, and violence is the brush with which we paint the art of rebellion.
Futurist Fascism - You taught me all there is to know about art, beauty and violence, and some of you protested in favour of freeing comrades Ferrer and Malatesta, but you adopting 
him was ultimately the suicide of Futurism's revolutionary spirit.
Left-Accelerationism - A very interesting modern day development who wants to escape capitalism through speed like me. Too theoretical for my liking though.
Vperedism - Good to see a fellow leftist comrade who loves Futurist art too, but I really don't like 
technocracy or 
Bolshevism. At least unlike 
him, you understand that revolutionary society requires revolutionary art and culture.
Enemies
Anarcho-Conservatism - You corrupt the revolutionary spirit of anarchy! How can you keep bourgeoise art and social norms in an anarchist society?
Authoritarian Conservatism - Revolt against authority and smash the idols of all of civilisation's traditions!
-
I've never seen anything worse, you're like both 
him and 
this psycho put together! I'll have my 
riot police shoot you! 
Capitalism - Art exists as a means of freedom and revolutionary creative expression, not as a product of commerce!
Christian Theocracy - I'll blast your churches to smithereens!
Classical Conservatism - I just knew so-called "high culture" and bourgeoise class society go hand in hand! I'll take a Molotov to your museums!- Fascism - The manifestation of conformity and reaction, and the anathema to the youthful, the anarchic, the avant-garde!
Reactionary Modernism - Just another authoritarian reactionary, albeit one that hides its ugly truth under the mask of revolution and modernity.
Further information
Literature
- Futurism and Anarchy (1912) by Renzo Provinciali
- Anarcho-Futurist Manifesto (1917) by "Group of Anarcho-Futurists" (
Abba Lvovich Gordin and Wolf Lvovich Gordin)
- ↑ Excerpt from the Anarcho-Futurist Manifesto.