Fortunato Depero's advertising art on show in Lucca

A new exhibition at the Lucca Center of Contemporary Art explores Fortunato Depero's multifaceted career, from his early Futurist works to his pioneering advertising graphics and his disillusioning American sojourn. Depero joined the Futurist movement in 1915, influenced by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, and created works such as 'Guerra! Italia!' (1915) inspired by his war experience on Col di Lana. After the war, his style blended Metaphysical elements with Surrealist abstraction, as seen in 'Corsa ippica tra le nubi'. From the mid-1920s, Depero turned to advertising, producing 'pitture pubblicitarie' for brands like Vido, Strega, and Campari, and exhibited 'Squisito al selz' at the 1926 Venice Biennale. He also designed covers for the 'Rivista illustrata del Popolo d'Italia'. The show highlights his less-known American period (1928–1930), during which he worked in New York on posters for the Roxy Theatre, illustrated children's books, and created covers for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. His independent work 'Big Sale' depicts a grim Harlem black market, reflecting his growing disillusionment with American society and technology, leading to his return to Italy in 1930.