Forgotten History of Triestine Futurism Revealed

A new exhibition at the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea di Monfalcone dedicated to Tullio Crali (1910-2000) sheds light on the overlooked history of Futurism in Trieste. The movement was launched in 1922 by two students, Bruno Sanzin and Bruno Martelli, who founded the Futurist student group of Trieste in 1924. Their activities included a goliardic magazine initially called Gaudeamus igitur, later renamed La Folgore. Key figures included painters Carmelich and Dolfi, and later Spazzali, Scocciai, and Carolus Cergoly. The group met at the now-vanished Caffè Roma. Marinetti frequently visited Trieste, staying at the Savoia-Excelsior hotel. The centenary of the movement's birth (1922-2022) was completely ignored by the city of Trieste. The article draws on a 1989 interview with Sanzin for Il Meridiano di Trieste, in which he recalled Marinetti's disillusionment as Futurism became state art under Fascism. Sanzin recounted an incident where Marinetti laughed at a banner reading 'Duce sei tutti noi!' and muttered 'Even the fools!' The movement spread to Istria and Gorizia, involving artists like Sambo, Boccalatte, Spazzapan, Pilon, and Cargo.