Tango (Italian magazine)

Tango was an Italian illustrated satirical magazine published from 1916 to 1919. Founded in Milan during World War I, it distinguished itself through its avant-garde artistic style and its politically provocative content, often critical of the Italian government and its handling of the war.

The magazine was the brainchild of artist and writer Carlo Carrà and poet and journalist Giovanni Amendola. Other prominent contributors included Giuseppe Ungaretti, Ardengo Soffici, and Gino Severini, all figures associated with the Futurist and other modernist movements.

Tango employed a distinctive visual language, characterized by bold typography, photomontage, and illustrations that embraced abstraction and distortion. This experimental aesthetic reflected the magazine's iconoclastic spirit and its commitment to challenging conventional artistic and political norms.

The magazine’s satirical attacks frequently targeted Prime Minister Antonio Salandra and other prominent political figures. Tango also questioned the motivations behind Italy’s involvement in World War I, a stance that led to censorship and, ultimately, its closure in 1919. Despite its short lifespan, Tango is considered a significant example of early 20th-century satirical journalism and a vital expression of modernist artistic and political dissent in Italy.