Rome: Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli on Monday announced that the State is buying Casa Balla, the former apartment in Rome of the early 20th-century artist Giacomo Balla, one of the leading figures of Italian Futurism. “Casa Balla will be bought soon,” Giuli announced, presenting the exhibit the Themes of Futurism opening at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, adding that “casa Balla is a consistent part of the show”.
According to Ansa News Agency, the acquisition will be completed very soon, said the director general of national museums at the culture ministry, Massimo Osanna. The apartment, located in a mid-20th century building, showcases artwork, murals, and furniture designed by Balla (1871-1958), who was a key figure of Italian Futurism. This early 20th-century movement celebrated the idea that art had to be an integral part of daily life.
Giuli also highlighted the contribution of those who reported to the MAXXI museum of 21st-century art in Rome about the “existence of th
e painting ‘Expanding flower number 17’, which used to belong to Casa Balla and which the MAXXI, with the ministry’s support, has bought”. This painting will be displayed once again, along with more artwork, in the artist’s apartment, Giuli added.
Futurism was born in 1909 when poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who was acquainted with Balla, published a manifesto hailing originality, technology, courage, and modernity with a nationalist bent.
