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SituationistNews
InternationaleSituationniste#7(April1962)
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TranslatedbyReubenKeehan

TheSI'sCentralCouncilgatheredinParisfrom10to11February.Apartfrom
thesixCCdelegates(AnsgarEldesentanapologyforhisabsence),eight
othersituationistspresentinParisatthetimetookpartinthediscussion.
ConsideringtheworseningsincetheGteborgconferenceoftheopposition
towardtheSIfromwithintheGermansectionparticularlythecontentof
issue7ofSpurthedistrustandhostilitythatthisgroupholdstowardthe
comradesimplementingtheSI'sdirectivesinGermanyandelsewhereandits
nowundeniablecollusionwiththerulingclassofEuropeancultureamotion
demandingtheexclusionofKunzelmann(oneofthetwoGermanCC
delegates),aswellasthatofPrem,SturmandZimmer,waspresentedby
Debord,Kotnyi,LausenandVaneigem.Nash,rebukingthoseresponsiblefor
Spur,wasinfavorofthempublishingaretraction,butstoppedshortof
demandinganexclusion.Afteradebateonthissubject,however,Nashdecided
ontheoptionofexclusion,whichwassubsequentlysettledwithavoteof5to1.
Forhispart,KunzelmannapprovedofalltheCC'scritiques,butinsistedthathe
wasnotpersonallyresponsibleforanyoftheincriminatingfacts.Nevertheless,
giventheopportunity,hewasunabletobringhimselftomakeadefinitivebreak
withtheothers,andthusjoinedthemintheirexclusion.Thisexclusionwas
immediatelymadepublicwiththetractNichthinauslehnen!Theonlyperson
presentandnotimplicatedtoexpresssympathyforthepositionsofthe
excludedwasLotharFisher,whomustthereforebecountedamongthem.
Withthisaffairoutoftheway,theCCturnedtothediscussionofamore
precisedefinitionofcultureandeverydaylife,ofthedialecticofthespectacle
andthestrikeforcethatwearenowcapableofassembling.Atheoretical
discussionhasthusbeenopened,whichisexpectedtoculminateinacoherent
expositionintheformofapocketdictionaryofsituationistconceptswithinthe
spaceofayear.Aresolutionwasmadeforthecreativedtournementofthe
"popularuniversity"inDenmark(cf.MmeESimon'sstudyRveilnationalet
culturepopulaireenScandinavie,PUFdistribution).TheCCentrustedthe
publicationoftheSI'snewGermanjournalDerdeutscheGedanketoUwe
Lausen.
Intermsoftheexclusions,theCCdecidedthatitwouldbebettertolimit
numbersinordertoexercisestrictercontrolonadmissiontotheSI,whichis
currentlyfartooeasy,byonlyselectingelementsthatarecompletelysound.
Varioussympathizersseemtothinkthatthereissomethingtogainfrom
pretendingtobeconverted(forexample,itiswellknownthattheSI's
Scandinaviansectioniseasiertojointhanthenouveauromanschool).Ifthisis
practiced,theSIcanhopetoaccomplishitstaskwithonlyseveraldozenmore
exclusions,thatistosaywiththeleastexpense.
*
AreprintofInternationaleSituationniste#2iscurrentlyunderway.Itwillbesent
tothosewhohaverequesteditinordertocompletetheircollections.
*

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Weshoulddrawattentiontothesubstantialamountoftypographicalerrors
marringourpreviousissue,mostofwhichoccurredattheprinters.Toavoidany
contention,notethatpage11,firstcolumn,line13shouldread:"deliberatelyby
thepolice"page13,secondcolumn,line42:"thevanishingpointofthe
plannedenvironment"page14,attheendofthefirstcolumn:"Thesocietyof
freetimeandconsumptionislivedasasocietyofemptytime,asconsumption
ofemptiness"page15,firstcolumn,line15:"amajorembarrassmenttothe
goodpeople"page16,line3:"afalsifiedneed"page26,atthestartofthe
secondcolumn:"theconstantlyrecurringpossibilitiesofalienationarisingwithin
theverystruggleagainstalienationbutweshouldstressthatthisappliestothe
highestlevelofresearch"page30,secondcolumn,line10:"notareligion.This
istheconflict"page40,line19:"forthosewhopossessculturalresources."
WhileallthesemistakeswerecorrectedinmostcopiesofInternationale
Situationniste#6,thisledtothecreationoftwonewones:onpage10,the
captionshouldend"bydestroyingthenaturallinktheseobjectsmayhavewith
otherobjects,soastohavethembecomemorethananythingelseamaterial
environmentwithahighstanding"andinthesecondpointoftheprogramof
unitaryurbanismonpage16,itshouldread:"arereallyusefulonlyinreinforcing
reification"(insteadof"reedification").Butifthatwerethecase,Kotnyiand
Vaneigem'sreaderswouldsurelyhavereifiedthemselves.
*
Owingtomajordifferencesonthepoliticalactiontotakeinthewakeofthe
greatBelgianstrike,AndrFrankinbrokewithourSIcomradesinBelgium
andthereforewithallothersituationistsinMarch1961,lettingusknowina
letterof13SeptemberthesameyearthathefoundalltheSI'sideastobetotal
rubbish,fishingintroubledwaters,withtheexception,however,ofthefew
plagiarizedinhisowntexts(publishedinissues3,4and5ofthisjournal).The
leastthatcanbesaidisthatjustaswehewillnolongerhaveanythingtodo
withus,wewillnolongerhaveanythingtodowithhim.
*
Inacirculardated27October1961,MauriceLematreandtwootherrelicsfrom
thegoldenageofthelettristavantgarde,finallyconcedingthatthelettristgroup
isnomore,whileatthesametimeproposingthat"lettrismisnowbeginningto
finditsrightfulplace"inesoterichistoryandmajorexhibitions,formed
themselvesintoakindsupportgroupwhosemembers"areabletoensurethat
theirnamesareassociatedwiththephrase:thelettristmovement."Already
assuredoftheadherenceofthreeotherwellandtrulyconservativemammoths,
thesignatoriesthenaddressedthemselvestofourpeoplewhohadtaken
varioussidesintheconflictsofthisavantgardetowardthetimeofitsbreakup.
Findinghimselfamongthosesolicited,Debordofcoursechosenottorespond.
Then,inaletteron4November,theytriedagain,concludingthathisextended
silenceauthorizedthemtoreporthisacceptanceintheimminentpublicationof
theirpoverties.Debordthentelegraphedthem:"Youfilthybastards.Iforbidyou
tousemysignatureinanywaywhatsoever.Bewarned."Theyweresmart
enoughtoleaveitatthat.Buttheirgesturewasstillratherpeculiar,giventhat
noneofthesepeoplehadevershowntheleastinterestinapproachinga
situationistbefore.
TheseparticularsortofacademicsknowthattheyaretheSI'sswornenemies,
andknowitsowellthattheydevotedanentireissueoftheirinterminable
reviewtoanalmostfrenzieddenunciationofus(PosieNouvelle#13,October
1960)andthatweourselveshavesaid(inissues4and5ofInternationale
Situationniste)thatweholdtheirtheoryinextremelylowesteem,tosaynothing
ofwhatwethinkofseveraloftheirverylives.Thisincidenttherefore
demonstratestheirscornforallthought,includingtheirown.Buttheystillfeel
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theneedtoreverttothisopportunism.Andtheirtalentatcuttingandpastingis
enoughtoshowtheirvocationforengagementandreengagementinthat
wretchedlegionofarrivisteswhohaven'tevenarrived.They'regraspingat
straws.
*
Inourpreviousissue,wereportedonthethreatsofseizurethatdelayedthe
releaseofSpur#5,whichincludedacollectionoftextsonunitaryurbanism,
andwhichwasfinallypublishedinMunichinJune1961.On9November,after
thepublicationofissue6,aseriesofraidssucceededinconfiscatingevery
copyofeachissueoftheGermansituationistjournalthatthepolicecouldfind
allthesituationistsweresubjectedtolengthyinterrogations,andfourofthem
werecharged.Inaninitialpamphletdistributedthenextdaywiththesignatures
ofthirtyonepeoplemostofthemfromtheSIinsolidaritywiththe
accused,theGermansectionemphasizedthat"forthefirsttimesince1945,a
searchhasbeencarriedoutonthepremisesofartists."Thepamphletshowed
theconsiderableintimidatingmovesthatconstitutedthethreatstoban
publication,prosecutionandevenimprisonment(thedemonstratedsubversion
appearedtohavebeenmainlydirectedatreligion),andbycallingonthe
supportofintellectualsandartists,ledinitiallytoadditionalchargesofcontempt
ofcourt.Butasitturnedout,thissolidaritywasexpressedalmostimmediately
inGermanyandabroad,andtheauthoritieswerelefttoretracttothepointof
allowingthereturnoftheconfiscatedpublications.Theremainderofthe
proceedingsareatastandstill.
InitsFebruary1962issue,theGermanjournalVernissagehavinginsinuated
thattheexclusionthreemonthslaterofseveralGermansituationistscouldwell
havebeenlinkedtotheirproblemswiththevicesquad,ortotheirdrunkenness,
aletterbythecurrentGermansectionon15March,approvedbytherestofthe
SItothismodernartversionofConfidential,affirmedthatallthesituationists
areandremaininsolidaritywiththoseconcernedwiththisaffair,andpointed
out:"thegroundsfortheirexclusionistheirrefusaltofollowtheSIinallits
extremeconclusions.Inanycase,wecouldnothavereproachedthese
comradesforthenonconformismoftheirbehaviorortheirart.Wewouldeven
gosofarastodeclarethat,fromthepointofviewoftheeditorshipof
Vernissagethatistosayfromyourpointofviewaslowlyshopkeepers,
servantsandhustlersweareworse..."
Elsewhere,twoGermanartistsonwhomtheSIhadalwaysbeenabletorelyfor
solidarityprotestedthatonthisoccasion,theydidnotwanttobecounted
amongthosewhosupportedSpur,clearlydemonstratingtheirsympathieswith
thepolice.
*
AtthetimeoftheNovember1961ambushatKinduonItalianpilotsservingin
theUN'soccupyingforcesintheCongo,justasattheverymomentofthe
executionofnineteenpriestsinCongololastJanuary,tracescouldbefoundof
ColonelPakassaandhistroopsfromtheWesternProvinceArmy.
Unfortunately,colonelPakassawasarrestedshortlyafterwards,atthesame
timethattheLeopoldvillegovernmentimprisonedthemoderateGizengaas
thestartofthesameprocessofliquidationappliedtoLumumbaandwhile
theLumumbistmutinyoftroopsinStanleyvillewasquashedbyGeneral
Lundula,severalunitsbeingdisbandedandnumeroussoldiersshot.
*
ThejournalistswhopraisedJeanLouisBdouinsTwentyYearsofSurrealism
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eitherdidntreadit,orwereunawarethatsurrealismeffectivelycontinuedto
existforthetwentyyearsfollowingMauriceNadeauswork.1Itisalsodifficultto
understandthewarmreceptionforabookthatdescribeswithsuchlittle
imaginationaperiodofsuchlittleinterest.Thehistoryofthesetwentyyearsis
thehistoryoftheneglectoftwentyyearsofmodernart.Andevenwithinthetiny
sectortowhichBdouinlimitshimself,theinformationisreallyofverylittle
consequence.Whytalk,forexample,ofAsgerJornsdebttothecollage
techniqueofMaxErnst(p.105),whenJornhasneverhiddenthefactthatallof
Ernstsworkhasinfluencedhimheavily?Whyopenlyconsiderthesurrealist
groupsofthreecontinentstobemerespinoffsofadistantheadquartersin
Paris,wherenothingactuallyhappensanymoreanyway?Whymentiona
commencebien,2the1954tractcosignedbythelettristsontheRimbaud
centenary(p.278),excepttoglossoverthepolemicbetweenthesignatories
thatensuedalmostimmediatelyafterwards?Itcantbedeniedthatthiswas
interestingasanextremecaseoftheravagesofStalinismonitsenemies:the
membersofthisparticularlettristfaction,someofwhomwouldlatercontribute
tothefoundingoftheSI,weretreatedbythesurrealistsasNKVDhenchmen
simplyforhavingmentionedclassstruggle.AsurrealisttractentitledFamiliers
duGrandTruc3declaredthatthelettristswouldsoonembarkoncarriersas
bearersoffalsewitnessatMoscowshowtrials.Itsashamethesurrealists
didntsticktoautomaticwriting,foreseeingthatsuchandsuchadepartment
storewouldburndown,orfindingoutwhatlayaheadforthemin1939.By
choosingtoattemptrationaldiscourseinstead,theymadeawildlyinaccurate
predictionaboutafewpeoplejoiningtheNKVD(whichevenatstagewas,of
course,nolonger),andarenowcompletelyincapableofseeingthefuture,let
alonethepresent,ofthisyearsmodels:HantaandPauwels.4
Finally,theleitmotifofBdouinsproseonalmosteverypageisthecredulous
youths,theyoungpeoplewhoadhereenmassetosurrealistdoctrine,the
surrealistgenerationsthatcomeandgolikeclockwork.Everyyear,thereare
newyoungpeoplereadytostandupforthesurrealistproject,whichhastobea
goodthing,right?Andwhatisitthatthey'vedone?Onthisratherimportant
point,Bdouinsaccountremainsvague.
*
InDecember1959,TheMeaningofDecayinArt,aneditorialnoteinissue3of
thisjournal,pointedoutthatifLucienGoldmannreallywantedtoaccept,inhis
Recherchesdialectiques,that"artasanindependentphenomenonseparated
fromotherrealmsofsociallife"couldbeledtodisappearinafuturewhereit
wouldbenecessarytoconceiveofanartthatwouldnolongerbe"separated
fromlife,"thenhewasdeclaringitfromapointofviewfarremovedfromreality,
becausehedidsowithoutrecognizingitsverificationintheexpressionofhis
time.Hewasstillthinkingintermsoftheclassical/romanticdichotomy,already
sounfortunateinMarx.Hissubsequentprogresscannotbeignored.In
Mediations#2(MayAugust1961),heconceived"veryseriouslyandonlyasan
hypothesis"(theitalicsarehis),theideathat"inaworldwheretheinauthenticity
ofobjectsandpeopleis,tovaryingdegrees,universal,butwhereradical
inauthenticitycannotexist,onewouldhavetoexpecttodiscover"atleasttwo
structuralstagesofculturalcreation:thethematicexpressionofabsenceand,
atamoreadvancedlevel,thequestionoftheradicaldestructionoftheobject."
Evenmoretentatively,headds:"Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthefirst
characterizesamajormovementwithinmodernliterature,fromKafkatoRobbe
Grillet,andthatitwasperhapsevenalreadyanimportantpartoftheworkslike
thoseofMallarmandValry,whilethesecondformsthebasisofnon
figurativepaintingaswellasanumberofimportantcurrentsinmodernpoetry."
Healsodiscovers,muchtohisamazement,thatpeopleresistreification!Page
153:"Theprovisionalhypothesisthatweareformulatingtodayisthat
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reification,whichtendstowardthecompletedissolutionandintegrationof
differentgroupsintoasinglesociety,hasacharactersocontrarytoreality,not
tomentionbiology,thatitengendersamoreorlessstrongsenseofopposition
inallindividuals,aresistancewhichcanbemoreorlessgeneralandmoreor
lesscollective,andwhichformsthebackdropforcreativity."
Andthusin1961,wesuddenlyseethattheworld,beingwhatitis,"engenders
literaturewiththeabsenceofartandartwiththedestructionoftheobject."It's
safetosaythatGoldmannignoresthis,forheissoenchantedbyhisdiscovery
thathehasn'tyetconsideredthatthedesertislandonwhichthatunexpected
spiritualtempeststrandedhimmightwellbeasheavilypopulatedastheFrench
concentrationcamps.ThetracksoftheManFridayheisexpectingtoseethere
arethoseofeverysingleculturalrevolutionofthelastonehundredyears.
WeshouldquotetherathertellingparagraphthatmakesupGoldmann's
cautiousconclusion:"Theseremarksareonlyhypothesesnaturally,theyneed
tobeclarifiedandverifiedbyindepthcollectiveresearchthatwouldtakeupto
severalyears.Suchastheyare,theyneverthelessappearsuggestiveenough
tousthatintheinterestsofthisworkitself,formulatingandproposingthemin
thediscussionhasbeenextremelyuseful."You'dhavetoagreethatdespitethe
nobilityofsuchhonesty,itsaysathingortwoaboutthecapacitiesofthe
researcher.
*
InAugust1961,theartdealerOttoVandeLoo,broughttotaskinourprevious
issue(p.41[SituationistNews]),publishedalongdeclarationentitledOffene
ErklarungzueinemArtikelderInternationaleSituationniste,inwhichhe
confirmedourentireversionoftheaffairinahighlydetailedbutexcruciatingly
embarrassingstyle,tothepointofassertingthatnoonecoulddoubtthejoke
constitutedbyhistelegraphedofferofacontractfor1,000Deutschmarksa
monthtorenewtieswithafewartistsonwhomhehadearlierputpressurein
decidedlynoblerandmoresentimentalterms.We'llletyoubethejudgeofall
thosewhothinkthattheartisticeconomyissoextravaganttobesosurethatan
artistcouldproduceanykindofreturnon1,200NewFrancspermonth
(especiallywhenthissum,"unthinkable"inAugust1961becauseitwasso
high,hasbecomeunthinkableeightmonthslaterbecauseitissolow).To
bolsterhisdenial,headdedthatworksbytheseartistswereworthnothingand
interestednoone.Buttojudgehimbyhisowncriteria,heiseitherafoolora
liar,becausethisargumentiseffectivelyanadmissionthathewasindeed
interestedinthemasmembersoftheSI,andthatheplannedtotake
advantageoftheirenterisminorderexertalevelofinfluenceondecisions
madebythemintheircapacityassituationists.Heboastedthathehadpartially
succeeded,andeventhathewascapableofcontinuingthisinfluencebecause
inthesamedeclaration,hemademuchofthecordialpersonalrelationshe
maintainedwithafewsituationistsatthetime.Hewentsofarastodrawonthis
argumenttothrowtheseriousnessoftheinformationintheSIjournalinto
doubt.WethereforestandbyallourremarksinIS#6,underliningthatweare
notdeclaringouroppositiontoaspecificartdealerwhichwouldmeanthat
wecouldinvestigateallianceswithothersbutthatweareprotectingtheSI
fromoutsidepressureswiththemostdefinitemeasures.Andtoproveit,andto
bringthisincidenttoanend,wewillpointoutthatallthosewhosecordiality
formedthebasisofVandeLoo'spostcardsfrom30Augusthavesincebeen
forcedtoleavetheSI.
*
InSwedenon15March,Jrgen
NashandAnsgarEldesuddenly
declaredtheiroppositiontothe
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SituationistInternational,and
setaboutconvertingthe
Scandinaviansectionintoyet
another"Bauhaus,"hopingto
usethesealofsituationismto
attractafewhighlyprofitableart
dealers.Thedevelopmentof
thisconspiracywasnodoubt
precipitatedbytherecent
eliminationoftheSI'srightwing,
onwhosesupporttheNashists
hadrelied.(InthecaseofSpur,
theprojectwasdiscoveredtobe
asortofNationalSituationism,
organizedasanautonomous
force,seekingtoexpandinto
SwitzerlandandAustria,which
foundsupportinNorthern
JVMartinorganizestheresistancewithloyal
Europe).Intheirdeclaration,the
elementsfollowingNash'sputsch.
Nashistsdidnotshyfrom
Translation:"Sabotage!Contactheadquartersby resortingtothemostoutrageous
lies,goingsofarastogivethe
spaceradio!"
impressionthaton10February,
attheSI'slastCentralCouncil
insessionundersomesortofallegedpressurefromthestreets!the
minoritywereintimidatedbycunninguseoftheatmosphereofcivilwarthathas
apparentlybeenprevalentinParisforthelasttwoyears(alas!).Theyeven
thoughtthattheyneededtoenlargethismiserableminoritybybolsteringtheir
enterprisewithsomeoneelse,whomtheyassertedretrospectivelywasa
memberoftheCC,whentheentireSIknowsthatthisisclearlynottrue.The
Nashistgangsterscanexpectnoreconciliationwithus.
On23March,theCentralCounciloftheSIdelegatedtheDanishsituationist
J.V.MartincompletepowertorepresenttheSituationistInternationalinthe
zonecoveredbytheScandinaviansection(Denmark,Finland,Norwayand
Sweden)untiltheAnversConferencetoimmediatelyregroupalltheauthentic
situationistsandtocoordinateeverymeansnecessaryinthestruggleagainst
Nashism.
Notes
1.Historiedusurralisme(194548).
2.AGoodStart.TheLIrespondedtothesurrealists'tractwiththeleaflet,Etafinit
mal![AndaBadEnd!].
3.TheGreatFriendsoftheGrandTruc:areferencetothebourgeoispoliticiansin
Chantdeguerreparisien[ParisianWarCry],Rimbaud'spoemontheCommune.
4.SimonHanta(b.1922),HungarianFrenchpainter,andLouisPauwels(19201997),
authorandeditorofthesciencefictionjournalPlante.

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