The Futurist Manifesto

Marinetti’s “Futurist Manifesto” is an extreme declaration against old traditions and beacons youth and fresh thought in the world.  Although much of the manifesto seems politically charged, the repeated mention of museums, poets, and literature put emphasis on Marinetti’s attitude towards the arts and its ability to shape the thoughts of society. In its application to art and the artist’s process of working, I found his seventh point particularly poignant: “No work without an aggressive character can be a masterpiece.”  He suggests a work of beauty must be created boldly “in struggle.” And I agree that honest artwork requires the fearlessness and ardour Marinetti mentions.  However, in reference to the alleged damaging effects of visiting museums, I disagree.  Artists are continually informed by the past and cannot work as though the world did existed before their own birth.