We, rayonists and futurists, do not wish to speak about new or old art, and even less about modern Western art.
We leave the old art to die and leave the “new” art to do battle with it; and incidentally, apart from a battle and a very easy one, the “new” art cannot advance anything of its own. It is useful to put manure on barren ground, but this dirty work does not interest us.
People shout about enemies closing in on them, but in fact, these enemies are, in any case, their closest friends. Their argument with old art long since departed is nothing but a resurrection of the dead, a boring, decadent love of paltriness and a stupid desire to march at the head of contemporary, philistine interests.
We are not declaring any war, for where can we find an opponent our equal?
The future is behind us.
All the same we will crush in our advance all those who undermine us and all those who stand aside.
We don't need popularization—our art will, in any case, take its full place in life—that's a matter of time.
We don't need debates and lectures, and if we sometimes organize them, then that's by way of a gesture to public impatience.
While the artistic throne is empty, and narrow-mindedness, deprived of its privileges, is running around calling for battle with departed ghosts, we push it out of the way, sit up on the throne, and reign until a regal deputy comes and replaces us.