Nuevo Romanticismo and Futurism: Spanish Responses to Machine Culture

What is it about?

This article compares three Spanish works with Russian and Italian Futurism. The focus of the article is on their preoccupation with urbanity and mechanization in César M. Arconada's Urbe (1928), José Díaz Fernández's La Venus mecánica (1929) and Rafael Alberti's Radio Sevilla (1938). Urbe embraces the machine and a pro-urban stance, while La Venus mecánica represents the Spanish Avant-garde's rejection of modernity's mechanization as does Radio Sevilla, although it echoes tendencies in Mayakovsky's drama and Marinetti's revival of Variety Theatre.

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Why is it important?

This is one of the few studies of this type that compares Spanish literature to Russian Futurism, although a number of critics have talked about Italian Futurism. It also looks at the issue of the machine and demonstrates a growing unease in Spain, one mirrored in different political and literary camps, towards modern life.