Guglielmo Sansoni, known as TATO Bologna, 1896-Rome, 1974
60.5 x 71 cm
Literature
UnpublishedExpertise by Nicola Spinosa
Dynamism of African Dance, likely the Danzatrici negre shown at the 1931 First International Exhibition of Colonial Art, exemplifies Futurism’s colonial strand. Depicting two African dancers in syncopated motion, the work merges aeropictorial technique with exoticist themes. Though long overshadowed in Tato’s oeuvre, it aligns with his broader Africanist explorations, including Maschere (fantasia decorativa) (1922–24) and the tactile sculpture Guarda, tocca e ricordati (1934–35), both shown in major exhibitions.
The sculpture’s multisensory focus reflects the Manifesto of African Art co-authored with Marinetti, echoing his 1921 Sudan–Paris tactile panel. Tato’s African-themed works serve both aesthetic and ideological roles in Futurism’s colonial vision. His autobiography references a dual-toned performance, thematically linked to the lost Simultaneità di bianca negra.
Overall, Dynamism of African Dance fuses ethnographic detail, choreographic energy, and Fascist propaganda, revealing Tato’s complex engagement with colonial iconography.
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