1 / 42

The Bearers of Fire

The Bearers of Fire. Futurist (?) Ethos of Modernity in Finland in the 1920s. NeMLA 2010 Convention, Montreal, Canada ; April 8-11, 2010 Marja Härmänmaa, University of Helsinki. This presentation is about …. The concept of modern and modernity

parley
Download Presentation

The Bearers of Fire

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Bearers of Fire Futurist (?) Ethos of Modernity in Finland in the 1920s NeMLA 2010 Convention, Montreal, Canada; April 8-11, 2010 Marja Härmänmaa, University of Helsinki

  2. Thispresentation is about… • The concept of modern and modernity • The relationshipbetweenarts and national identity • The importance of the country’shistory and geographical position to the arts

  3. PART ONE

  4. Finland - Approximately 3,3 millioninhabitants in the 1920s - Independent in 1917

  5. Italian Futurism in Finland • Practically unknown • For instance, very few mentions in literary history • In 1929: an essay of OlaviPaavolainen: ”The FrightenedMuses” • Aboutmodernphenomena of arts and culture • One chapterdedicated to Futurism • The mostimportantoverview of Italian Futurism in Finland

  6. Olavi Paavolainen (1903-1964) • Writer and essayist • The Finnish ”prophet of modernism” • A leadingfigure of The Bearers of Fire

  7. Futurismaccording to Paavolainen • A phenomenon of the modern world • Marinetti had invented ”modernolatry” in order to rescue Italy from the pressure of the past • Activism: ”seratefuturiste” • Political activity, affiliation to fascism • The concept of movement in painting • Literature: use of mathematical signs and the renovation of syntax • Synthetic theatre

  8. The achievements of Futurismaccording to Paavolainen • No importantartisticachievements • Crucial as an ideology • Expression of the new rhythm of life • Aestheticappreciation of technology and machines • Futuristiconoclasm and disdain of tradition characteristic of allmodernarts • The importance of publicity for arts

  9. Italian Futuristsmentionedby Paavolainen • F.T. Marinetti • Umberto Boccioni • Gino Severini • Giacomo Balla • Carlo Carrà • LuigiRussolo • Luciano Folgore • Enrico Prampolini • Maria Ricotti (theatre) • Ivo Pannaggi • Franco Casavola • Francesco Balilla Pratella

  10. ”Machinolatry” in Finland • In 1861: Poem ”Locomotivdriver” of J.J. Wecksell • the firstrailwaywasbuilt • In 1902-1935: writings of the architect Sigurd Frosterus • aboutbattleships, trains, airplanes… • 1920s: The Bearers of Fire • According to Olavi Paavolainen, hestarted ”machinolatry” in Finland

  11. The ”other” machine • In the so-called working class literature • Social problems caused by the modernity • Industrial workers’ condition • Problems related to urbanisation

  12. Tulenkantajat (The Bearers of Fire) • Modernist literary movement • In 1924 a collection of young poets’ poems • 1928-1930 the homonymous magazine • In 1930s developed into expressionism

  13. Mika Waltari (1908-1979)

  14. Katri Vala (1901-1944)

  15. Aaro Hellaakoski (1893-1952) Self-portrait, 1923

  16. The Bearers of Fire A statue in Heinola of Anja Juurikkala (b. 1923), 1987

  17. The magazine (1928-1930)

  18. The ”programme” of the Bearers of Fire • No written programme • Renewal of the arts and literature with the new, European currents • SOME poets adapted the free verse in poetry (Vala) • SOME used visual poetry (Hellaakoski) • Arts in direct contact with the modern world • Representation of the modern world • But also of the countryside and nature • The creation of a new, modern Finnish identity • Against the dominant culture • Roots of the Finnish identity in nature and the countryside (realism) • Cult of Kalevala

  19. Väinö Kunnas (1896-1929) ”City” (1926)

  20. Case study 1: A DistantGardenby Katri Vala (1924) • Vala was considered the most important modernist poet of her generation • Collection of free verse poems • No traces of modernity • Exoticism • ”TajMahal”, ”Tahitian Serenade” • Inner feelings • ”Praying”, ”Nostalgia”, ”Heart” • Nature • “The Last Evening of April”, “The Flowering Land”, “The First Snow” • Modern in form; motifs from decadentism / expressionism

  21. Case study 2: ”A TrainTrip in Spring” of Hellaakoski (1928) • ”A Finnish version of futuristmachinolatry” (H.K.Riikonen) • About a traintripin the countryside during the spring • Traditionalverses • Threestrophes • Motifs: • Spring • Flowers • Blossomingtrees

  22. Modernity and the Bearers of Fire • New urban environment • The birth of a new, modern man • And subsequent crisis of identity • Machine as a natural part of modern life • airplanes, cars, trains • No social critic of industrialization

  23. The Bearers of Fire and politics • Against communism • although some of them were leftists • Against fascism • in the 1920s Italian Futurism was identified with fascism • The extreme political ISMS were old-fashioned • The only modern ISM: PAN-EUROPEANISM

  24. PART TWO

  25. The Soviet Union (1922-1991)

  26. Futurism in the USSR • Created in 1912 • Communist revolution in 1917 • (Cubo-) Futurism practically dominated the artistic life during the first years after the revolution • Subsequently replaced by social realism

  27. Whytherewas no futurism in Finland?

  28. A (very) briefhistory of Finland • From the beginning of the 19th century Finland was part of Russia • From the mid -19th century onward artists and intellectuals were invited to ”invent” the Finnish national identity, based especially on Kalevala (Finnish mythology) • Independence from Russia in 1917 • Civil war between the Reds and the Whites in 1918, leading to the victory of the Whites • Approximately 37,000 casualties • In 1920s any kind of cultural exchange with the USSR was impossible

  29. Finnish culture in the 1920s • Firstdecade of independence • Contribution of the arts to buildingFinnishidentity • Neo-classicism in architecture and in sculpture • Realism in literature -> discovering the ”roots of Finnishness”

  30. Being ”modern” in intewar Finland • Attention to modern phenomena: • technology, urbanization • No political extremism (<- civil war) • Rejection of national identity based on ethnographic traditions (Kalevala) • ”Open the windows to Europe!” (The Bearers of Fire) • To be international instead of being national

  31. PART THREE

  32. Estonia - Independent from 1991 - Ca 1,3 million inhabitants in 2010

  33. Futurism, now: Ethnofuturism • Artistic and cultural movement born in Estonia in early 1990s • Target: search for Finno-Ugric identity • Ideology based on Finno-Ugric and Uralic myths • Opposed to Western rationality, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and Christian religion • Avant-garde experiments + tradition • Use of tradition to construct an alternative identity of the future

  34. Finno-Ugric peoples

  35. JuriDõrin (1967-)

  36. JuriDõrin (1967-)

  37. AleksanderIvanov (1964-2001) ”The Rape of Europe”

  38. AleksanderIvanov (1964-2001) ”The Tree of Life”

  39. PeeterSepp (?)

  40. PeeterSepp

  41. PeeterSepp’sexhibition in Estonia An Estonian Ethnofuturistliving in Canada

  42. Thankyou! • I wish to thankprofessorH.K.Riikonen for the valuable help he gave me for thispresentation

More Related