10/20/2014 The Alba Platform

http://scansitu.antipool.org/5701.html 1/2
Originallyappearedasa
leafletpublishedafterthe
BauhausImmaginista's
CongressofFreeArtists
inAlbaSeptember28,
1956andsignedbyJ.
Calonne,Constant,G.
PinotGallizio,Jorn,J.
Kotik,P.Rada,P.
Simondo,E.SottsassJr.,
E.VerroneandG.J.
Wolman.Drawnupby
Jorntogetherwithothers.
LaterprintedinPolatch
No.27(2November
1957).TranslatedbyKen
Knabbandtakenfrom
SituationistInternational
Anthology,BureauOf
PublicSecrets,1981
TheAlbaPlatform
September28aCongresswasheldinAlba,Italy,convokedbyAsgerJorn
andGiuseppeGalliziointhenameoftheInternationalMovementforan
ImaginistBauhaus,agroupingwhoseviewsareinagreementwiththe
LettristInternational'sprogramregardingurbanismanditspossibleuses
(seePotlatch#26).Representativesofavantgardegroupsfromeight
countries(Algeria,Belgium,Czechoslovakia,Denmark,France,Great
Britain,Holland,Italy)mettheretodeterminethebasesforaunited
organization.Thetaskstowardthisendweredealtwithinalltheir
implications.
ChristianDotremont,whohadbeenannouncedasamemberofthe
Belgiandelegationinspiteofthefactthathehasforsometimebeena
collaboratorintheNouvelleNouvelleRevueFranaise,refrainedfrom
appearingattheCongress,wherehispresencewouldhavebeen
unacceptableforthemajorityoftheparticipants.
EnricoBaj,representativeofthe"NuclearArtMovement,"wasexcluded
theveryfirstday.TheCongressaffirmeditsbreakwiththeNuclearistsby
issuingthefollowingstatement:"Confrontedwithhisconductincertain
previousaffairs,BajwithdrewfromtheCongress.Hedidnotmakeoffwith
thecashbox."
MeanwhileourCzechoslovakiancomradesPravoslavRadaandKotikwere
preventedfromenteringItaly.Inspiteofourprotests,theItalian
governmentdidnotgrantthemvisastopassthroughitsnationaliron
curtainuntiltheendoftheAlbaCongress.
ThestatementofWolman,theLettristInternationaldelegate,particularly
stressedthenecessityforacommonplatformspecifyingthetotalityof
currentexperimentation:
"Comrades,theparallelcrisespresentlyaffectingallmodesofartistic
creationaredeterminedbygeneral,interrelatedtendenciesandcannotbe
resolvedoutsideacomprehensivegeneralperspective.Theprocessof
negationanddestructionthathasmanifesteditselfatanacceleratedrate
againstalltheformerconditionsofartisticactivityisirreversible:itisthe
consequenceoftheappearanceofsuperiorpossibilitiesofactiononthe
world....Whateverprestigethebourgeoisiemaytodaybewillingtogrant
tofragmentaryordeliberatelyretrogradeartistictentatives,creationcan
nowbenothinglessthanasynthesisaimingattheconstructionofentire
atmospheresandstylesoflife....Aunitaryurbanismthesynthesiswe
callfor,incorporatingartsandtechnologymustbecreatedinaccordance
withnewvaluesoflife,valueswhichwenowneedtodistinguishand
disseminate...."
TheCongressconcludedbyexpressingasubstantialagreementinthe
formofasixpointresolution,declaringthe"necessityofanintegral
constructionoftheenvironmentbyaunitaryurbanismthatmustutilizeall
artsandmoderntechniques"the"inevitableoutmodednessofany
renovationofanartwithinitstraditionallimits"the"recognitionofan
essentialinterdependencebetweenunitaryurbanismandafuturestyleof
life"whichmustbesituated"intheperspectiveofagreaterrealfreedom
andagreaterdominationofnature"andfinally,"unityofactionamongthe
signersonthebasisofthisprogram"(thesixthpointgoingontoenumerate
thevariousspecificsofmutualsupport).
10/20/2014 The Alba Platform
http://scansitu.antipool.org/5701.html 2/2
ApartfromthisfinalresolutionsignedbyJ.Calonne,Constant,G.
Gallizio,A.Jorn,Kotik,Rada,PieroSimondo,E.SottsassJr.,Elena
Verrone,WolmantheCongressunanimouslydeclareditselfagainstany
relationswithparticipantsintheFestivaldelaCitRadieuse,thus
followingthroughwiththeboycottinitiatedtheprecedingmonth.
AttheconclusionoftheCongressGilJ.Wolmanwasaddedtotheeditorial
boardofEristica,theinformationbulletinoftheInternationalMovementfor
anImaginistBauhaus,andAsgerJornwasplacedontheboardofdirectors
oftheLettristInternational.
TheAlbaCongresswillprobablyonedaybeseenasakeymoment,oneof
thedifficultstagesinthestruggleforanewsensibilityandanewculture,a
strugglewhichisitselfpartofthegeneralrevolutionaryresurgence
characterizingtheyear1956,visibleintheupsurgeofthemassesinthe
USSR,PolandandHungary(althoughinthelattercaseweseethe
dangerouslyconfusingrevivalofrottenoldwatchwordsofclerical
nationalismresultingfromthefatalerroroftheprohibitionofanyMarxist
opposition),inthesuccessesoftheAlgerianrevolt,andinthemajorstrikes
inSpain.Thesedevelopmentsallowusthegreatesthopesforthenear
future.
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