Main concepts Situationist International

1 main concepts

1.1 spectacle , society
1.2 détournement
1.3 anti-capitalism
1.4 art , politics
1.5 construction of situations
1.6 psychogeography

1.6.1 dérive


1.7 work, leisure, , play

main concepts
the spectacle , society

the spectacle central notion in situationist theory, developed guy debord in 1967 book, society of spectacle. in limited sense, spectacle means mass media, glaring superficial manifestation. debord said society of spectacle came existence in late 1920s.

the critique of spectacle development , application of karl marx s concept of fetishism of commodities, reification , alienation, , way reprised györgy lukács in 1923. in society of spectacle, commodities rule workers , consumers instead of being ruled them. consumers passive subjects contemplate reified spectacle.

as 1958, in situationist manifesto, debord described official culture rigged game , conservative powers forbid subversive ideas have direct access public discourse. such ideas first trivialized , sterilized, , safely incorporated within mainstream society, can exploited add new flavors old dominant ideas. technique of spectacle called recuperation, , counter-technique détournement.

détournement

a détournement technique developed in 1950s letterist international, , consist in turning expressions of capitalist system against itself, turning slogans , logos against advertisers or political status quo. détournement prominently used set subversive political pranks, influential tactic called situationist prank reprised punk movement in late 1970s , inspired culture jamming movement in late 1980s.

anti-capitalism

the situationist international, in 15 years formation in 1957 , dissolution in 1972, characterized marxist , surrealist perspective on aesthetics , politics, without separation between two: art , politics faced , in revolutionary terms. si analyzed modern world point of view of everyday life. core arguments of situationist international attack on capitalist degradation of life of people , fake models advertised mass media, situationist responded alternative life experiences. alternative life experiences explored situationists construction of situations, unitary urbanism, psychogeography, , union of play, freedom , critical thinking.

a major stance of si count on force of revolutionary proletariat. stance reaffirmed in discussion on “to extent si political movement?”, during fourth si conference in london. si remarked core situationist principle, , don t understand , agree it, not situationist.

art , politics

the si rejected art separated politics, concept of 20th-century art separated topical political events. si believed notion of artistic expression being separated politics , current events 1 proliferated reactionary considerations render artwork expresses comprehensive critiques of society impotent. recognized there precise mechanism followed reactionaries defuse role of subversive artists , intellectuals, is, reframe them separated topical events, , divert them taste new may dangerously appeal masses; after such separation, such artworks sterilized, banalized, degraded, , can safely integrated official culture , public discourse, can add new flavors old dominant ideas , play role of gear wheel in mechanism of society of spectacle.

according theory, artists , intellectuals accept such compromises rewarded art dealers , praised dominant culture. si received many offers sponsor “creations” have situationist label diluted political content, have brought things order , si old fold of artistic praxis. majority of si continued refuse such offers , involvement on conventional avant-garde artistic plane. principle affirmed since founding of si in 1957, qualitative step of resolving contradictions of having situationists make concessions cultural market, made exclusion of gruppe spur in 1962.

the si noted how reactionary forces forbid subversive ideas artists , intellectuals reach public discourse, , how attack artworks express comprehensive critique of society, saying art should not involve politics.

the construction of situations

the first edition of internationale situationniste defines constructed situation moment of life concretely , deliberately constructed collective organization of unitary ambiance , game of events.

as si embraced dialectical marxism, situation came refer less specific avant-garde practice dialectical unification of art , life more generally. beyond theoretical definition, situation practical manifestation slipped between series of proposals. si first led distinguish situation mere artistic practice of happening, , later identified in historical events such paris commune in exhibited revolutionary moment. si s interest in paris commune expressed in 1962 in fourteen “theses on paris commune”.

psychogeography

the first edition of internationale situationniste defined psychogeography study of specific effects of geographical environment (whether consciously organized or not) on emotions , behavior of individuals. term first recognized in 1955 guy debord while still letterist international:

the word psychogeography, suggested illiterate kabyle general term phenomena few of investigating around summer of 1953, not inappropriate. not contradict materialist perspective of conditioning of life , thought objective nature. geography, example, deals determinant action of general natural forces, such soil composition or climatic conditions, on economic structures of society, , on corresponding conception such society can have of world. psychogeography set study of precise laws , specific effects of geographical environment, whether consciously organized or not, on emotions , behavior of individuals. charmingly vague adjective psychogeographical can applied findings arrived @ type of investigation, influence on human feelings, , more situation or conduct seems reflect same spirit of discovery.

dérive

by definition, psychogeography combines subjective , objective knowledge , studies. debord struggled stipulate finer points of theoretical paradox, producing theory of dérive in 1958, document serves instruction manual psychogeographic procedure, executed through act of dérive ( drift ).

in dérive 1 or more persons during period drop usual motives movement , action, relations, work , leisure activities, , let drawn attractions of terrain , encounters find there... dérive includes both letting go , necessary contradiction: domination of psychogeographical variations knowledge , calculation of possibilities.

si engaged in play-form practiced predecessor organization, lettrist international, art of wandering through urban space, termed dérive, unique mood conveyed in debord’s darkly romantic meaning of palindrome. 2 excursions organized andre breton serve closest cultural precedents dérive. first in 1921, excursion church of saint-julien-le-pauvre parisian dadaists; second excursion on may 1, 1923, when small group of surrealists walked toward countryside outside of blois. debord cautious differentiate between derive , such precedents. emphasized active character “a mode of experimental behavior” reached romanticism, baroque, , age of chivalry, tradition of long adventures voyages. such urban roaming characteristic of left bank bohemianism in paris.

in si s 6th issue, raoul vaneigem writes in manifesto of unitary urbanism, space occupied enemy. living under permanent curfew. not cops—the geometry . dérive, conceptualized tactic in french military, calculated action determined absence of greater locus , , maneuver within enemy s field of vision . si, interest inhabiting space, dérive brought appeal in sense of taking fight streets , indulging in determined operation. dérive course of preparation, reconnaissance, means of shaping situationist psychology among urban explorers eventuality of situationist city.

work, leisure, , play

the situationists observed worker of advanced capitalism still functions goal of survival. in world technological efficiency has increased production exponentially, tenfold, workers of society still dedicate whole of lives survival, way of production. purpose advanced capitalism organized isn t luxury, happiness, or freedom, production. production of commodities end itself; , production way of survival.

the theorists of situationist international regarded current paradigm of work in advanced capitalist society increasingly absurd. technology progresses, , work becomes exponentially efficient, work becomes exponentially more trivial. spectacle s social function concrete manufacture of alienation. economic expansion consists of expansion of particular sector of industrial production. growth generated economy developing own sake can nothing other growth of alienation @ origin.