History Situationist International

1 history

1.1 origins (1945–1955)
1.2 formation (1956–1957)
1.3 artistic period (1958–1962)
1.4 political period (1963–1968)
1.5 may events (1968)
1.6 aftermath (1968–1972)

history
origins (1945–1955)

the situationist movement had origins left wing tendency within lettrism, artistic , literary movement led romanian-born french poet , visual artist isidore isou, originating in 1940s paris. group heavily influenced preceding avant-garde movements of dadaism , surrealism, seeking apply critical theories based on these concepts areas of art , culture, notably in poetry, film, painting , political theory. among of concepts , artistic innovations developed lettrists lettrie, poem reflecting pure form yet devoid of semantic content, new syntheses of writing , visual art identified metagraphics , hypergraphics, new creative techniques in filmmaking. future situationist guy debord, @ time significant figure in lettrist movement, helped develop these new film techniques, using them in lettrist film howls sade (1952) later in situationist film society of spectacle (1972).

by 1950, younger , more left-wing part of lettrist movement began emerge. group kept active in perpetrating public outrages such notre-dame affair, @ easter high mass @ notre dame de paris, in front of ten thousand people , broadcast on national tv, member , former dominican michel mourre posed monk, stood in front of altar , read pamphlet proclaiming god dead . andré breton prominently came out in solidarity action in letter spawned large debate in newspaper combat.

in 1952, left wing of lettrist movement, included debord, broke off isou s group , formed letterist international, new paris-based collective of avant-garde artists , political theorists. schism erupted when future members of radical lettrists disrupted charlie chaplin press conference limelight @ hôtel ritz paris. distributed polemic entitled no more flat feet! , concluded: footlights have melted make-up of supposedly brilliant mime. can see lugubrious , mercenary old man. go home mister chaplin. isou upset this, own attitude being chaplin deserved respect 1 of great creators of cinematic art. breakaway group felt work no longer relevant, while having appreciated in own time, , asserted belief urgent expression of freedom destruction of idols, when claim represent freedom, in case, filmmaker charlie chaplin.

during period of letterist international, many of important concepts , ideas later integral in situationist theory developed. individuals in group collaboratively constructed new field of psychogeography, defined study of specific effects of geographical environment (whether consciously organized or not) on emotions , behavior of individuals. debord further expanded concept of psychogeography theory of dérive, unplanned tour through urban landscape directed entirely feelings evoked in individual surroundings, serving primary means mapping , investigating psychogeography of these different areas. during period letterist international developed situationist tactic of détournement, reworking or re-contextualizing existing work of art or literature sought radically shift meaning 1 revolutionary significance.

formation (1956–1957)

in 1956, guy debord, member of lettrist international, , asger jorn of international movement imaginist bauhaus, brought group of artistic collectives first world congress of free artists in alba, italy. meeting established foundation development of situationist international, officially formed in july 1957 @ meeting in cosio. resulting international fusion of these extremely small avant-garde collectives: lettrist international, international movement imaginist bauhaus (an offshoot of cobra), , london psychogeographical association (though, anselm jappe has argued group pivoted around jorn , debord first 4 years). later, situationist international drew ideas other groups such socialisme ou barbarie.

the prominent member of group, guy debord, became considered organization s de facto leader , distinguished theorist. other members included theorist raoul vaneigem, dutch painter constant nieuwenhuys, italo-scottish writer alexander trocchi, english artist ralph rumney (sole member of london psychogeographical association, rumney suffered expulsion relatively after formation), danish artist asger jorn (who after parting si founded scandinavian institute of comparative vandalism), architect , veteran of hungarian uprising attila kotanyi, , french writer michele bernstein. debord , bernstein later married.

in june 1957, debord wrote manifesto of situationist international, titled report on construction of situations. manifesto plans systematic rereading of karl marx s das kapital , advocates cultural revolution in western countries.

artistic period (1958–1962)

danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, , author asger jorn, founding member of situationist international.

during first few years of si s founding, avant-garde artistic groups began collaborating si , joining organization. gruppe spur, german artistic collective, collaborated situationist international on projects beginning in 1959, continuing until group officially joined si in 1961. role of artists in si of great significance, particularly asger jorn, constant nieuwenhuys , pinot gallizio.

asger jorn, invented situgraphy , situlogy, had social role of catalyst , team leader among members of si between 1957 , 1961. jorn’s role in situationist movement (as in cobra) of catalyst , team leader. guy debord on own lacked personal warmth , persuasiveness draw people of different nationalities , talents active working partnership. prototype marxist intellectual debord needed ally patch petty egoisms , squabbles of members. when jorn s leadership withdrawn in 1961, many simmering quarrels among different sections of si flared up, leading multiple exclusions.

internationale situationniste

the first major split exclusion of gruppe spur, german section, si on february 10, 1962. many different disagreements led fracture, example; while @ fourth si conference in london in december, 1960, in discussion political nature of si, gruppe spur members disagreed core situationist stance of counting on revolutionary proletariat; accusation activities based on systematic misunderstanding of situationist theses ; understanding @ least 1 gruppe spur member, sculptor lothar fischer, , possibly rest of group, not understanding and/or agreeing situationist ideas, using si achieve success in art market. betrayal, in spur #7 issue, of common agreement on gruppe spur , si publications.

the exclusion recognition gruppe spur s principles, methods , goals in contrast of si. split not declaration of hostilities, in other cases of si exclusions. few months after exclusion, in context of judicial prosecution against group german state, debord expressed esteem gruppe spur, calling significant artist group in germany since world war ii, , regarding @ level of avant-gardes in other countries.

the next significant split in 1962, wherein nashists, scandinavian section of si led jørgen nash, excluded organization lacking theoretical rigor demanded franco-belgian section of si led guy debord. excluded group later declare 2nd situationist international, basing organization out of sweden. journalist stewart home, favored nashists , considered debord mystic, idealist, dogmatist , liar wrote while 2nd situationist international sought challenge separation of art , politics everyday life, debord , so-called specto-situationists sought concentrate solely on theoretical political aims.

political period (1963–1968)

by point situationist international consisted exclusively of franco-belgian section, led guy debord , raoul vaneigem. these members possessed more of tendency towards political theory on more artistic aspects of si. shift in intellectual priorities within si resulted in more focus on theoretical, such theory of spectacle , marxist critical analysis, spending less time on more artistic , tangible concepts unitary urbanism, détournement, , situgraphy.

during period si began having more , more influence on local university students in france. taking advantage of apathy of colleagues, 5 pro-situs , situationist-influenced students, infiltrated university of strasbourg s student union in november 1966 , began scandalising authorities. first action form anarchist appreciation society called society rehabilitation karl marx , ravachol; next appropriated union funds flypost return of durruti column , andre bertrand s détourned comic strip. invited situationists contribute critique of university of strasbourg, , on poverty of student life, written tunisian situationist mustapha/omar khayati result. students promptly proceeded print 10,000 copies of pamphlet using university funds , distributed them during ceremony marking beginning of academic year. provoked immediate outcry in local, national , international media.

may events (1968)

the situationists played preponderant role in may 1968 uprisings, , extent political perspective , ideas fueled such crisis, providing central theoretic foundation. while si s member count had been steadily falling preceding several years, ones remained able fill revolutionary roles had patiently anticipated , prepared. active ideologists (“enragés” , situationists) behind revolutionary events in strasbourg, nanterre , paris, numbered 1 or 2 dozen persons.

this has been acknowledged fact studies of period, still wide open interpretation how , why happened. charles de gaulle, in aftermath televised speech of june 7, acknowledged explosion provoked groups in revolt against modern consumer , technical society, whether communism of east or capitalism of west.

they made majority in occupation committee of sorbonne. important event leading may 1968 scandal in strasbourg in december 1966. union nationale des Étudiants de france declared in favor of si s theses, , managed use public funds publish mustapha khayati s pamphlet on poverty of student life. thousands of copies of pamphlet printed , circulated , helped make situationists known throughout nonstalinist left.

quotations 2 key situationist books, debord s society of spectacle (1967) , khayati s on poverty of student life (1966), written on walls of paris , several provincial cities. documented in collection of photographs published in 1968 walter lewino, l imagination au pouvoir.

those followed artistic view of si might view evolution of si producing more boring or dogmatic organization. following political view see may 1968 uprisings logical outcome of si s dialectical approach: while savaging present day society, sought revolutionary society embody positive tendencies of capitalist development. realization , suppression of art developed of many dialectical supersessions si sought on years. situationist international of 1968, world triumph of workers councils bring these supersessions.

though si small group, expert self-propagandists, , slogans appeared daubed on walls throughout paris @ time of revolt. si member rené viénet s 1968 book enragés , situationists in occupations movement, france, may 68 gives account of involvement of si student group of enragés , occupation of sorbonne.

the occupations of 1968 started @ university of nanterre , spread sorbonne. police tried take sorbonne , riot ensued. following general strike declared 10 million workers participating. si participated in sorbonne occupations , defended barricades in riots. si distributed calls occupation of factories , formation of workers’ councils, but, disillusioned students, left university set council maintenance of occupations (cmdo) distributed si’s demands on wider scale. after end of movement, cmdo disbanded.

aftermath (1968–1972)

by 1972, gianfranco sanguinetti , guy debord 2 remaining members of si. working debord, in august 1975, sanguinetti wrote pamphlet titled rapporto veridico sulle ultime opportunità di salvare il capitalismo in italia (english: real report on last chance save capitalism in italy), (inspired bruno bauer) purported cynical writing of censor , powerful industrialist. pamphlet argued ruling class of italy supported piazza fontana bombing , other covert, false flag mass slaughter higher goal of defending capitalist status quo communist influence. pamphlet mailed 520 of italy s powerful individuals. received genuine , powerful politicians, industrialists , journalists praised content. after reprinting tract small book, sanguinetti revealed himself true author. in outcry ensued , under pressure italian authorities sanguinetti left italy in february 1976, , denied entry france.

after publishing in last issue of magazine analysis of may 1968 revolts, , strategies need adopted in future revolutions, si dissolved in 1972.