The Futurist Cookbook was the first lifestyle blog (2016)

The Futurists were among the most influential movements of the 21st century. The movement proper was rather short-lived, some might argue that the peak of the movement was between 1909—the year the Futurist Manifesto was published in the French Le Figaro (but the movement was entirely Italian)—and 1915, when Italy entered World War I, most of the die-hard Futurists enlisted and some (too many!) of them were killed (Boccioni, Sant'Elia). The movement had a long tail that ended with the death of Marinetti in the 1930s and probably of Depero (the illustrator of some of the most popular advertising posters of the 21st century, see Campari for example) later on. I recommend reading Giordano Bruno Guerri's biography of Marinetti (along with his latest book on the "Fiume adventure," which can certainly be considered among the Futurist campaigns).

A few weeks ago I had the idea of writing on my blog about what futurism is today and who—people, movements or ideas—has the vivacity, quick thinking and flair for grasping and directing the historical times that the futurists had. One could say, and it would be easy and predictable, that some in the tech world (perhaps the Musks, the Bezos, with their afflatus toward space among other enterprises) are the new futurists, but I disagree, although there is something Futurist in them (but they are way too nerdy!). The futurist movement was not simply a proto-technological "out with the old, in with the new" group, but was a collection of people often violent, if not in means certainly in desires and inspiration, demands and proposals in the arts, writing, sports, politics. The scorn for danger was one of the most distinctive features of the movement, along with continuous verbal, literary, and physical provocations. They used to interrupt theater performances and create massive fights with people in attendance!

Futurists were often very young and very energetic, unfortunately often victims of their "all-or-nothing" vision. Was it inevitable for many futurists to become fascists after the end of World War I and the "impresa fiumana"? I would say highly probable (read for example, if a translation is available, "La mia vita fra i reticolati", written by the futurist Ardito and then fascist Mario Carli)

Coming up with food photos for the Futurist Cookbook was one of the most fun projects I've ever done: https://annawilliams.com/VORACITY/CONTROPASTASCIUTTA/1/thumb...

It's amazing that Marinetti made a cookbook like this almost 100 years ago. It still feels experimental compared to the recipe junk that gets churned out these days. If he were alive today I bet he would make a new Futurist Cookbook of SEO-optimized AI-generated recipes that could never exist, designed to be eaten in a banquet served on an autonomous bus.

"For the extremist banquet, where no one eats, and the only satiety comes from online outrage, the guest may stay at the table only long enough to tweet."

The futurists were the avant-garde of the avant-garde, I love 'em!