A Non-Real Fire: Gramsci and Benjamin, Interpreters of Futurism

Futurism was one of the most significant cultural and political avant-gardes of early 20th century Europe. This movement articulated an unconventional form of nationalism, detached from tradition and the populace, and instead tied to the myth of modernity—a radical break characterized by technological advancement and a repudiation of the past. Between the 1910s and 1920s, both Antonio Gramsci and Walter Benjamin analyzed the contradictions inherent in Futurism, which presented a potent blend of political and aesthetic phenomena. This article aims to demonstrate how, unlike Benjamin, who unequivocally identified the Futurist gesture as the precursor to the political aestheticization of Fascism, Gramsci nuanced his overall judgment of the movement led by Marinetti, particularly as it pertains to the development of his political thought in the Prison Notebooks.