Situationism

Situationism refers to the ideas developed by the Situationist International, a group of intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries active in Western Europe from 1957 to 1972. It developed several anarchists and libertarian marxist ideas that have influenced the left to this day.

Key Concepts

Dérive

Détournement

Détournement or Hijacking is the process by which radicals distort non-radical art to give a radical message.

Psychogeography

Recuperation

Recuperation is the process by which power structures distort and manipulate social movements in order to strengthen the system they are protesting.

Situationist prank

Situationist pranks are pranks that are supposed to challenge power structures.

Spectacle

Spectacle is the way power structures tend to 'distract' the people their ruling over into submission.

Unitary urbanism

Notable Situationists

Abdelhafid Khatib
Alain Chevalier
Alexander Trocchi
Alice Becker-Ho
André Frankin
Ansgar Elde
Anton Alberts
Anton Hartstein
Asger Jorn
Attila Kotányi
Bruce Elwell
Charles Radcliffe
Chris Gray
Christian Sebastiani
Claudio Pavan
Constant Nieuwenhuys
Dieter Kunzelmann
Donald Nicholson-Smith
Edith Frey
Eduardo Rothe
Elena Verrone
Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Erwin Eisch
Francois de Beaulieu
Glauco Wuerich
Gianfranco Sanguinetti
Giors Melanotte
Giuseppe Pinot-Gallizio
Gretel Stadler
Guy Debord
Hadj Mohamed Dahou
Hans-Peter Zimmer
Hans Platschek
Har Oudejans
Hardy Strid
Heimrad Prem
Heinz Hofl
Helmut Sturm
Herbert Holl
Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd
Ivan Chtcheglov
Jacqueline de Jong
Jacques Ovadia
Jan Horelick
Jan Strijbosch
Jean Garnault
Jeppesen Victor Martin
Jørgen Nash
Katja Lindell
Ken Knabb
Lothar Fischer
Madhusree Dutta
Maurice Wyckaert
Michèle Bernstein
Mustapha Khayati
Ndjangani Lungela
Paolo Salvadori
Patrick Cheval
Patrick Straram
Peter Laugesen
Piero Simondo
Ralph Rumney
Raoul Vaneigem
Rene Riesel
René Viénet
Renee Nele
Robert Chasse
Rudi Renson
Stefan Larsson
Theo Frey
T.J. Clark
Tony Verlaan
Uwe Lausen
Walter Korun
Walter Olmo