Description
Module Description:
This module examines the birth, developments, and end of Futurism in Italy. The Futurist movement (1909-1944), under the leadership of Marinetti, welcomed the new in its battle against the past and presented the world with a stream of manifestos for change on every subject. The module focuses on literature, the visual arts, photography and music; by looking at a variety of primary sources (manifestos and creative outputs), students are encouraged to reflect upon the notion of avant-garde and issues of canon formation, cultural tradition, and innovation in the arts. A variety of secondary sources help students develop an awareness of the different approaches in scholarship on Futurism.
Aims and Learning Outcomes:
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gain a critical understanding of Italian Futurism
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become familiar with primary and secondary sources on the subject
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learn to apply key tools for literary and visual analysis
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develop skills in identifying and using good-quality studies to support a critical analysis of prescribed topics or problems, and in structuring a sustained and original argument
Suggested Reading:
In preparation for the module, we advise reading the following text. This can be found in the UCL Library; in case you cannot access the library and get this title, please contact the module tutor.
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Guenter Berghaus, “Introduction” (all sections, excluding the last one on “Toward an Avant-Garde Conception of the Performing Arts: Alfred Jarry and Wassily Kandinsky), in Theatre, Performance, and the Historical Avant-Garde (New York-Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan, 2005), pp. 1-45
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.