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Détournement – turning around i.e. "detournement of preexisting
aesthetic elements." “Détournement is
thus first of all a negation of the value of the previous organization of
expression” 1969 Related
keywords: Surrealism; International
Situationistes; Drift |
The practice of détournement involes the caputring of various spectacular images and turning around in a new presentation in order to subvert the authority of the sign and the significations it sets in order. Detournement was the practice of the Internationale Situationiste mouvement in post-war France, emerging out of Lettrism in the 50s, and developing into a powerful and subversive critique of modern commodity society in the 60s. Inspirational to the multitude of challenges to mainstream authoritarian society in 1968, the situationists, led by the infamous Machiavellian Debord, understood that the creation of a spectualuar illusionary universe of meaning, at once integrated and diffuse, was at the very heart of contemporary capitalism.
The routes of détournement can be traced to the
surrealist practice of the juxtaposition of unassociated objects aiming to
destabilise the observers sense of reality i.e. in order to de-stabilise the
mechanistic and strucured modes of apphrension of reality – infamously captured
by the idea of a change meeting between a sewing machine and an umbrella on a
dissecting table.
Détournement in the practice of the Situationistes assumed different shapes. In
one sense, it involved the fabrication, memisis and mockery of the medium of
the message itself – comic strips featured highly. In cinema, Debord’s initial
passion was the object of fervent attempts at superesssion and de-legitimation
of the medium, although the practice of detorunement changed in the earlier and
later Debord. In the ealier period he aimed attacked the structure of the film.
His first film, Howlings in favour of Sade included periods of up to
thirty minutes of silence and blank fuzzy screens. The later Debord abused
Hollywood representations, always filching the copyright through Machiavellian
means (go go go), distorting their ideological power through series of
counterpositions to other Western rationalities such as war, The Klu Klux Klan
or slum life in the inner cities. One such film was incredible attempt at a
dramatisation of the book The society of the Spectacle - by now of ’68
infamy. In such an attempt the orignal project of the aufhebung (destruction,
assimilation and supersession) of the medium of spectacular illusonary power,
was seemingly comprimised leading in some cases to pro-situ détournement
of Debord’s film itself. Though the
impact of the film was marginalised, in retrospect its attempt to create a
visual sensation of the Hegelian dialectic in the language of its own spurious
content, was ingenius, mad, admirable and reprehensible. Debord it seems
continued to believe in his statement voiced in 1956 to the effect that the
cinema was the priveledged arena for the combat of détournement .
But you should really
read:
Methods of Détournement
– Guy Debord and Gil. J. Wolman
A
closely connected practice was that of the ‘derive’
or drift: This came up as an event on the nettime list and it gives
you one example of this “generative psychogeographical practice”
“””by Special AirplaneThursday, August 29th, 2002 6 pm
Drift is an collaborative event as part of The Hot Summer of Psychogeography
2002 organized by Netherlands-based artist collective Social Fiction.
Social Fiction describes Generative Psychogeography as "an open source concept
which describes a method to explore the urban environment. It is as simple as
this: stroll through the city on directions like 'first street left, second
street right, first street right, repeat'. The simplicity of this route can be
deceptive, it turns out that the route which you will take is difficult to
predict for more than 3 turns (in an asymmetrical city, that is). Add to this
that by strolling like this you pass through the city in a way which is so
thoroughly alien to the way you normally use the city that you find yourself
confronted with the city in new light."
Come and Drift with Special Airplane:
We'll meet on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery, where you'll be given a
slip of paper with an algorithm that will take you in a pattern around the
streets. We'll walk for one hour starting at 6 pm. You'll be asked to chart
your route on a map.If your pattern takes you to a point where you are faced
with the ocean and cannot progress further, you will be asked to toss an
object, which you will have been given ahead of time, into the sea.
After 1 hour, stop walking and come join the rest of the group to have a drink
and discuss where your route took you. Everybody is welcome so spread the word.
If you're coming, drop me a line at kate@katearmstrong.com””””””””””””””””””
SO THERE YOU GO!!!