UbuWeb Film & Video: Situationist International http://www.ubu.com/film/si.

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Film Situationist International

UbuWeb

On the Passage of a few People through a Rather Brief Moment in Time: The Situationist
International 1956-1972 (documentary)

The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries, the
exclusive membership of which was made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political
theorists, active from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution in 1972.

The intellectual foundations of the Situationist International were derived primarily from anti-
authoritarian Marxism and the avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century, particularly
Dada and Surrealism. Overall, situationist theory represented an attempt to synthesize this diverse
field of theoretical disciplines into a modern and comprehensive critique of mid-20th century
advanced capitalism. The situationists recognized that capitalism had changed since Marx's
formative writings, but maintained that his analysis of the capitalist mode of production remained
fundamentally correct; they rearticulated and expanded upon several classical Marxist concepts,
such as his theory of alienation. In their expanded interpretation of Marxist theory, the situationists
asserted that the misery of social alienation and commodity fetishism were no longer limited to the
fundamental components of capitalist society, but had now in advanced capitalism spread
themselves to every aspect of life and culture. They resolutely rejected the idea that advanced
capitalism's apparent successes—such as technological advancement, increased income, and
increased leisure—could ever outweigh the social dysfunction and degradation of everyday life that it
simultaneously inflicted.

Essential to situationist theory was the concept of the spectacle, a unified critique of advanced
capitalism of which a primary concern was the progressively increasing tendency towards the
expression and mediation of social relations through objects. The situationists believed that the shift
from individual expression through directly lived experiences, or the first-hand fulfillment of
authentic desires, to individual expression by proxy through the exchange or consumption of
commodities, or passive second-hand alienation, inflicted significant and far-reaching damage to the
quality of human life for both individuals and society. Another important concept of situationist
theory was the primary means of counteracting the spectacle; the construction of situations,
moments of life deliberately constructed for the purpose of reawakening and pursuing authentic
desires, experiencing the feeling of life and adventure, and the liberation of everyday life.

When the Situationist International was first formed, it had a predominantly artistic focus; emphasis
was placed on concepts like unitary urbanism and psychogeography. Gradually, however, that focus
shifted more towards revolutionary and political theory. The Situationist International reached the
apex of its creative output and influence in 1967 and 1968, with the former marking the publication
of the two most significant texts of the situationist movement, The Society of the Spectacle by Guy
Debord and The Revolution of Everyday Life by Raoul Vaneigem. The expressed writing and political
theory of the two aforementioned texts, along with other situationist publications, proved greatly
influential in shaping the ideas behind the May 1968 insurrections in France; quotes, phrases, and
slogans from situationist texts and publications were ubiquitous on posters and graffiti throughout
France during the uprisings.

RESOURCES:
Guy Debord in UbuWeb Film

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UbuWeb Film & Video: Situationist International http://www.ubu.com/film/si.html

Guy Debord in UbuWeb Sound

Rene Vienet in UbuWeb Film

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