The International Federation of Independent Revolutionary Art (FIARI) was a short-lived organization established in 1938 until 1939 on the initiative of Andre Breton and

Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...

following the publication of the ''Manifesto for an Independent Revolutionary Art'', which was signed by both individuals, based on their political and cultural rejection of the

Communist International The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by ...

. It was co-authored by

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

History

In April 1938, André Breton travelled to Mexico on a grant from France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There, he became acquainted with

and co-authored the Manifesto with him. The published Manifesto was signed by Breton and Rivera. The document called for the establishment of an International Federation of Independent Revolutionary Art. On Breton's return to France, he established the Federation, setting up branches in Paris, London and New York, as well as Mexico. Breton successfully solicited supported for the project from the likes of Benjamin Péret,

Yves Tanguy Raymond Georges Yves Tanguy (January 5, 1900 – January 15, 1955), known as just Yves Tanguy (, ), was a French surrealist painter. Biography Tanguy, the son of a retired navy captain, was born January 5, 1900, at the Ministry of Naval Aff ...

André Masson André-Aimé-René Masson (4 January 1896 – 28 October 1987) was a French artist. Biography Masson was born in Balagny-sur-Thérain, Oise, but when he was eight his father's work took the family first briefly to Lille and then to Brussel ...

Victor Serge Victor Serge (; 1890–1947), born Victor Lvovich Kibalchich (russian: Ви́ктор Льво́вич Киба́льчич), was a Russian revolutionary Marxist, novelist, poet and historian. Originally an anarchist, he joined the Bolsheviks fi ...

Marcel Martinet Marcel Martinet (Dijon, 22 August 1887 – Saumur, 18 February 1944) was a French pacifist socialist revolutionary militant and a Proletarian literature, prolétarian writer. Life Martinet, a Communist and pacifist, opposed the First World War from ...

Ignazio Silone Secondino Tranquilli (1 May 1900 – 22 August 1978), known by the pseudonym Ignazio Silone (, ), was an Italian political leader, novelist, and short-story writer, world-famous during World War II for his powerful anti-fascist novels. He was no ...

, Herbert Read (who, in turn, won the support of George Orwell) and others. However, the Federation was beset with problems with the European branches receiving a lack of public interest due to the preoccupation with the threat of

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. Only two editions of ''La Clé'', the monthly bulletin of the Federation's French section, were published before publication was ceased in February 1939 amid a deepening political crisis across Europe. In his last letter to Trotsky in June 1939, Breton wrote: "Perhaps I am not very talented as an organizer, but at the same time it seems to me that I have run up against enormous obstacles."

Sources

External links

''Manifesto for an Independent Revolutionary Art''
{{DEFAULTSORT:MAnifesto For An Independent Revolutionary Art 1938 in politics 1938 documents Political manifestos Works by André Breton Works about surrealism