The first-ever modern-day artist’s book, originally created in 1927 by Italian futurist Fortunato Depero as a venue for both his craft and his ideas, may soon experience new life. Depero Futurista, also known as The Bolted Book, for the two industrial aluminum bolts that served as its binding, is now the subject of a Kickstarter campaign championed by Designers & Books, the Center for Italian Modern Art in New York (CIMA), and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, Italy, which houses the Depero archives. The organizations will publish an exact copy of the work, the first of its kind since its original printing.
“Depero is a truly contemporary figure,” says Heather Ewing, CIMA’s executive director. “In a way, that seems perfectly in tune with global trends today; he embraced the cult of modernity and technology, seeing cities and advertising as high art forms in and of themselves. He developed a unique voice that married the mechanical with the fantastical. His work—and way of working—are as relevant today as they were innovative a century ago.”
The Bolted Book chronicles work including paintings, sculptures, textile and architectural designs, theater, dance, advertising work and manifestos, as well as reviews that the designer-artist received.
The Kickstarter fund raised upwards of $45,000 on its first day, October 18, and will continue for another 44 days.
