>The art of psychogeography

>

Psychogeography is about understanding and exploring the urban landscape. That specific term (“the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals”) was defined by Guy Debord and the situationists in the late 1950’s.
In an age where cultural and environmental degradation and commercial interest reign supreme, the need for something more and spiritual arise within the souls of the damned. Public space is for everyone, it’s the heart of democracy, and not only for those in power, for those with cash, for those with superior positions in society. But we all know that democracy is a scam and not to be trusted, so to break free from this everyday slaughter and outright meaningless traditions should be in everyone’s interest.
Pyschogeography speaks to the intellect as well as the act. The act is the beauty. The act of walking out there, drifting, finding, exploring and possibly even changing. Famous opium eater Thomas de Quincey when strolling around in the cities had no other goal in mind than to satisfy his curiosity about what might be discovered around the next corner. Some of the situationists navigated through the Harz region in Germany using a map of London. Stuff like that. To break on through to the other side.
You know how easy it is to stroll the same old paths everytime you go somewhere. Try another path (the Left Hand Path maybe?) and think about where you are, where you’re going and what the surroundings mean and how they guide and control your ways.


Cause And Effect – created by Akay, Klister-Peter and Made.

The psyche, the place and the relationship between the two. That’s pretty much what it’s all about. What effect the urban landscape have on us, especially when we’re not guided by commercials, when we choose randomly. And that random choice is what makes it so exciting.
Because we surely must admit that we are being controlled by various forced options every single day, everytime we choose to walk the streets – even though most of us don’t care about that. We want to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, not having to think, preferably without moving at all. But if you do care about the shit that’s being tossed at you, then this psychogeography thing can be pretty interesting, because in my mind it many times exposes the manipulation, and only then are we able to subvert that very manipulation and make our own choices.

This is the critique of urbanism.

“Only an awareness of the influences of the existing environment can encourage the critique of the present conditions of daily life, and yet it is precisely this concern with the environment (in) which we live which is ignored.”


Are you also unconcerned? – created by Akay and Klister-Peter.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *