Inventing Futurism – The Art and Politics of Artificial Optimism

"The best book on Futurism that I have read in some time. "Inventing Futurism" is the first critical study in English to consider Futurism from an interdisciplinary perspective. Poggi brings a new and stimulating perspective to such issues as violence and the representation of women, showing that Futurist practice was much more contradictory than its official rhetoric. This is a truly first-rate and original contribution."--Luca Somigli, University of Toronto "A very significant contribution to the field. Poggi demonstrates in her well-written and cogently argued book that the traditional interpretation of Futurism as a naive celebration of the shocks and traumas of modernity is in need of revision. It is refreshing to finally see this understudied group of works and artists get the fine-grained attention they deserve."--Anthony White, University of Melbourne