Celebrating the futurist art movement of the early 20th century, the electronic music festival celebrates both unity and individuality in its forward-thinking styles
“We futurists are trying to place ourselves at the very centre of things, obtaining this feeling of something in perpetual motion which is peculiar to everything living,” Italian painter Carlos Carrà announced at the turn of the 20th century, setting out the principles behind the abstract yet deeply human futurist art movement. Over 100 years later, it is this sense of continually moving forwards that is still celebrated in Kappa FuturFestival, reflected in the boundary-pushing looks of its attendees. Between angel wings, knee-high boots and waist-length braids, there’s a palpable sense of unity in the sea of indiviuality.
Located in the northern Italian city of Torino, Kappa FuturFestival features some of the biggest names across techno, house and rave music, including Skrillex, Carl Cox, Bonobo, Seth Troxler and many more. Themes of the future and the unexplored are foundational to the celebrations, running from stage names like The Voyage and Kosmo, right down to the looks of the attendees themselves.
“Dynamic lines and fabrics, innovative materials, and combinations of both dark and vibrant colours create pieces inspired by futurism, challenging conventions and promoting an avant-garde, free-spirited aesthetic,” explains photographer Antonio Coralla who captured looks at the festival alongside Fabio Scopel.
In many ways, their appearances speak to our perceptions of change itself, incorporating elements of both contemporary fashion and the once futuristic Y2K styles of the early 2000s. Against the post-industrial backdrop of Torino’s Parco Dora square, these looks take on an almost anachronistic quality, their bold blends of trainers and robes defying any one scene or time period. “From cyber goth to techno chic, including neon accessories and oversized garments, influences from the past remain strong, continually celebrating individuality and stylistic innovation,” Coralla sums up.
Despite being profoundly international, drawing attendees from over 157 countries around the world, these looks remain remarkably cohesive. Coralla and Scopel are in agreement that technology plays a huge role in this, too. “This phenomenon of cohesion is strongly fueled by social media, which spreads a large amount of related content, turning it into a mass movement,” Coralla comments. Scopel chips in: “At one point, it was just the Berlin style that was the ‘one’ to follow, but nowadays this music reaches everyone everywhere and influences our style and way of being.”
In some senses, then, joined by their avant-garde looks and the stomping rhythms of some of Europe’s best DJs, Kappa FuturFestival has evolved into a bona fide techno-utopia. Selling over 115,000 tickets and generating €25 million for the local economy, the festival’s proportions are truly staggering. “I strongly believe that the festival is a separate established nation,” Scopel proclaims. “And the way its people dress appears to shout ‘Hey! We exist. We are here. Look at us.’”
Beyond their flamboyant and eye-catching looks, it was this sense of unity that formed Scopel's lasting memories of the weekend in Torino. “There was this couple, embraced and motionless, swallowed by the crowd and the mud in a moment of tenderness. I could not help but seize that moment,” he tells Dazed.
It’s a powerful metaphor. Much like Carrà’s initial mission statement for futurism itself, it is within their shared experience of the maelstrom of modernity that Kappa FuturFestival’s attendees find connection to each other.
Check the gallery above to see some of the best looks from Kappa FuturFestival 2024.