Art Funded by you

Parole in Liberta Futuriste Olfattive Tattili Termiche (Words in Futurist, Olfactory, Tactile, Thermal Freedom)

Tullio D'Albisola, FT Marinetti, 1932

The book represents three elements of futurism. Firstly, there is the interest in the new, the modern and industrial - expressed in its tin pages, the ball-bearing/wire binding-structure and the use of lithography for text and image. Secondly, it exploits Marinetti's invention of 'parole in libertà' ('words in freedom'), where words can be poetised by visual manipulation. D'Albisola treats Marinetti's poems as objects: the recto has the Marinetti poem whilst the verso has d'Albisola visualisation. This is in contrast to the more usual layout where the poem would be opposite its illustration. And thirdly, it exploits the futurist interest in the multi-sensual experience: as the book's title states, it explores smell (for example, of the lithographic inks), touch (the unusual feeling of tin pages and its variable temperature) as well as hearing (ball bearings, tin, visual loudness through type-size etc.), and sight.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Parole in Liberta Futuriste Olfattive Tattili Termiche (Words in Futurist, Olfactory, Tactile, Thermal Freedom), 1932

Date supported

2008

Medium and material

Tin binding & paper

Dimensions

23.5 x 24.7 x 1 cm

Grant

18000

Total cost

83000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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