Simon Ford, Potlatch, Psychogeography, Derive, and Détournement

In the readings of Simon Ford and Guy Debord, the discussion of Situationist and the Lettriste International sums up the advantageous appeal of going against common ground. The urban architecture of cities is the alluring objectification of random journeys and of seeking out others to discuss social and political drivel. At the heart of this new ideology is the essence of uprooting the extremely wealthy and re-distributing to the proletariat, or of the blue collar working class – or even the mass population. Probably a popular example of détournement is AdBusters, a group of anti-advertisers that culturejam, or re-appropriate the billboards of the clogged downtowns and bus shelters of the suburbans to convey a completely opposite message than intended originally by the advertiser. This is especially prevalent with cigarette and beauty ads, where activists would re-mark and raise a level of social awareness that these corporations are trying to sell. Better known for their annual Buy Nothing Day, Kalle Lasn probably says it best: "Driving hybrid cars and limiting industrial emissions is great‚ but they are band–aid solutions if we don't address the core problem: we have to consume less. This is the message of Buy Nothing Day."

As Naomi Klein described in her book, No Logo, Rodriguez de Gerada is widely recognized as one of the most skilled and creative founders of culture jamming. Why do people do this? Let me ask you, what is beneficial for corporations such as Kool or Camel cigarettes to advertise in a society where kids start to believe that attaining these products will enhance their lives?

While I believe that some forms of detournement is necessary to keep the wealth distributed among the society, I question whether it is further a legitimate reason to pirate software, or other activities that would be deemed otherwise illegal. The Situationist movement seems to have been an arbitrary form of artist evolution. However, with minimal guidance to practicality, Debord speaks of destroying hyperpolitcal means, and the bourgeois idea of happiness, but what if the very idea of bourgeois happiness is in itself experimenting with détournement or derive?



The closest thing I have experienced recently that I suppose would be a derive would be attending Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche. It truly was a randomized experience in engaging with art, artists and viewers. The paradox lies with the debasement and rejection of corporations and government. There was obvious support from both of those at the Nuit Blanche, so I would regard that you can’t really eliminate those. People may argue that because corporations sponsored Nuit Blanche, that art may have been swayed to their perspective, but I really go out of my way to question the validity of that argument. If it were not for them thousands of people would not have been able to experience an art crawl in Toronto.

On the subject of architecture in Toronto, the continual urbanization of our city has lead to urban sprawl, and for some, a dead sense of environment. However with the revamped Royal Ontario Museum and the now renovating process of Art Gallery of Ontario, the central art centres in Toronto will be refreshed a new for derive to explore.

– Stephen