Futurismi in Ravenna. “Avant-garde books and papers 1909-1921”.

20 December 2009 – 18 April 2010 – Manica Lunga – Classense Library (Ravenna)

The exhibition, “Futurismi a Ravenna. Avant-garde books and papers 1909-1921′ was curated by Antonio Castronuovo, Donatino Domini and Claudia Giuliani from 20 December 2009 to 18 April 2010. It was organised on the occasion of the Futurism celebrations linked to the centenary of the movement’s birth when the Classense Library had exhibited a conspicuous number of books, posters and documents related to the Futurism movement of a more specific “Made in Ravenna”. The role that, the Ginanni Corradini brothers from Ravenna, Arnaldo and Bruno, later known as Ginna and Corra, played from the start of the development of the movement, alongside Francesco Balilla Pratella, is well known. Their popular artistic and literary activity is intimately linked to the most authentic artistic milieu of the Ravenna antiquity, as well as being open to the currents of European culture. Their literary futurism and artistic creations was recognized, mostly developed around the book and In the same location of the book exhibition – the editorial covers illustrated by Ginna are an example of this. The Ravenna Futurisms, seeing as there were various waves of participation and there were several diversified groupings of intellectuals who took part in them, they were introduced through the books that they produced; the covers, the illustrations, the caricatures so dear to the movement’s gusto, and the posters which can be found in the examples owned by the Classense Library, and by important private collections. Nevertheless, some of the most important book masterpieces of the Futurist movement, were exhibited, such as Depero’s “Bolted Book“, considering this was a time of happy growth and innovation in typography and generally in visual arts that has been one of Futurism’s greatest achievements.

(from Press Release)