Abstract EN:

Is there such a thing as french futurism ? This question cannot really be answered without first taking a fresh look at italian futurism to restore its legitimacy, so long refuted because of its association with fascism. The first part is a historical and literary analysis of italian futurism to show the movement's vitality and the vital link between italian avant-garde artists and their time. It was because of the ideas expounded byt the florentine futurists, as well as Severini's efforts and Marinetti's frenetic activity, that by 1913, with the publication of Apollinaire's manifesto, the doors of the french literary milieu were beginning to open. Part of the study is devoted to analysing texts published by Marinetti, Soffici and Boccioni between 1909 and 1915, focusing on a few essential themes - colour, women, love, the modern world, writing and the war - that those authors share with french-speaking poets like Reverdy, Salmon, Dermée, Albert-Birot, Cendrars, and the painter Marcel Duchamp. There are a number of similarities between the French and the Italians, first their shared Zeitgeist, and also because futurism was the origin and the vehicle of a new language from which the French undeniably drew some inspiration between 1915 and 1918. So it appears that one can talk of "french futurism", or at least a french form of futurism, that was recognised at the time in Germany and Spain and was cautiously heralded by italian critics, however, steadfastly denied any such phenomenon. This defensive posture is not easily understood, but it is clear that the italian movement has rarely been considered at its true value in France. The works have not been read or reread in depth, except for a few theoretical texts, and have often been simply mocked. It seems clear that if french futurism is to be taken seriously, the movement as a whole first needs to be granted its true rank.