Futurism

On display 100 artworks of the protagonists of the art movement of the early 20th Century.

From 11 November 2019 to 19 February 2020

From 11 October to 9 February 2020 Palazzo Blu in Pisa hosts the exhibition ‘Futurism’ entirely dedicated to the avant-garde cultural and artistic movement that characterized the beginning of the 20th century. Through the ten sections of this captivating exhibition, you will admire works by great 'revolutionaries' such as Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Gino Severini, Fortunato Depero, Giacomo Balla, Luigi Russolo and many others. The common thread that links together the 110 works of the Exhibition at Palazzo Blu are the various Futurism manifestos: indeed, only the works of the artists that remained faithful to the assumptions of the theorists contained in those wonderful documents will be on display. This year marks the 110th anniversary of Marinetti's Manifesto, the document that triggered the birth of Futurism by appearing on "Le Figaro" in Paris. Until then writings of that kind had only been used for political propaganda and for advertisement, which in fact was born precisely in those years. That first manifesto of Futurism inaugurated a new way of communicating in art, a way that was used in many of other cultural fields: literature, sculpture, painting, architecture, dance and theater. The exhibition in Pisa at Palazzo Blu will display 110 colorful works and interesting descriptions connecting these works together and will allow you to make a unique journey into the fantastic world of the most representative Futurist artists.

FUTURISM

The Futurist movement has its roots in Divisionism. In a nutshell, Divisionism was an artistic movement born in Italy at the end of the 19th century and featured the separation of colors in single dots or lines that interact with each other in an optical sense. Futurism art’s main exponents – such as Balla and Boccioni – originally belonged to this movement. Alongside divisionism, futurism also takes its cue from Cubism, and can be considered an evolution of Cubism, since it adds the idea of dynamic movements to the characteristic elements of this movement. Futurism in Italy was more than an artistic phenomenon: it embraced various cultural environments, particularly in the political sphere, and represented a reaction to the crisis of liberalism and to the First World War.

THE EXHIBITION ON FUTURISM IN PISA

The exhibition was curated by Alda Masoero, journalist, art critic and great expert on futurism, and organized by the Fondazione Palazzo Blu in conjunction with Mondomostre, the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the Municipality of Pisa. Twenty-nine loans are behind the exhibition, which came from private individuals and important institutions such as the Modern Art Gallery of Rome, Museo del Novecento, the GAM and the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, the MART in Rovereto and the Caprioni Museum in Trento.

The display of one of the most anticipated exhibitions in Pisa for 2019-2020 consists of ten sections divided on two floors. Visitors can view interesting video projections to fully immerse themselves in the topic: verses recited by actors, interviews and other interesting audio-visual materials. The journey into one of the most fascinating cultural movements of the last century opens with the works of painters originally linked to divisionism: Balla, Carrà and Buccioni. Next up is a portrait of F.T. Marinetti, the artist who can be considered the "father" of Futurismo. This painting by Rougena Zaktova will be displayed next to some examples of futurism keywords conveying freedom, such as the famous "Zang Tumb Tumb".

After Marinetti's approach to futurism, we get to the heart of the exhibition with paintings of the greatest and most significant artists of the period. In this section you can find, for example, "Forme Grido Viva l'Italia": a masterpiece by Giacomo Balla, one of the most important Futurist painters, as well as other works by the same artist such as 'Pessimism and Optimism' of 1923 and 'Rumoristica plastica BALTRR' of 1914. Another great Futurist painter, Boccioni, is represented through different works at Pisa Palazzo Blu exhibition. You can admire, for example 'Carica dei Lancieri', a work that mixes the technique of paint and collage, and the bronze sculpture 'Development of a bottle in space'. Remember to also take a look at the section dedicated to Futurist architecture with the projects of cities of the future by Antonio Sant’Elia.

Even the staircase leading to the upper floor is a must-see: every colorful step bears the name of the futurists. The journey in Pisa across Futurism continues with Aeropainting, a current within Italian futurism that pursues the myth of the machine and modernity by representing the airplane and flight as symbols of this idea. In this section there are works such as ‘Cime arse di solitudine’ by Benedetta Cappa Marinetti (Tommaso's wife), ‘Mystery airplane’ by Fillia and ‘Aeropittorico’ by Dottori. Acting as a mix of game and oeuvre, there will be a projector reproducing the image of Marinetta by Rougena Zaktova whilst simultaneously filming the visitor and mixing their image with that of the founder of futurism. If you visit the exhibition with children and young people this will be one of the most entertaining moments!

This event speaks for itself: the Palazzo Blu Futurism exhibition is an unmissable opportunity! You will see vivid colors, unstoppable vitality and dynamic images through the works on display, and visitors will be left fascinated and surprised. In short, an exhibition that will literally leave you speechless! Don't waste time and check all the details on the event website, such as the Futurism Exhibition opening times and how to buy tickets. Did you know that tickets will also give you access to the permanent exhibition and other current exhibitions at Palazzo Blu? While you organize your stay in Pisa, allow yourself some time to explore other areas of the beautiful region of Tuscany. Take our  Tours of villages  to discover picturesque villages nestled in the hills! Have we talked you into it?

Pisa and the fantastic Futurism exhibition are waiting to welcome you for an exciting journey into the artistic avant-garde movement of last century!

Exhibition dates: from 11 October 2019 to 20 February 2020

Palazzo Blu (Pisa): Lungarno Gambacorti, 9

Opening times, tickets, info: www.palazzoblu.it