Situationists
The Situationist International (SI) was a radical international organization of revolutionaries with an exclusive membership made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists, active from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution in 1972.
The intellectual foundation of the Situationist International derived from anti-authoritarian Marxism and the avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century, namely Dada and Surrealism; situationist theory represented an attempt to synthesize these theoretical disciplines, as well as other influences, into a comprehensive and modern critique of mid-20th century advanced capitalism.
Although the situationists recognized capitalism had changed since Marx's formative writings, they argued that Marx's analysis of the structure and class system of capitalism remained fundamentally correct, and they resolutely rejected the idea that advanced capitalism's apparent successes—such as technological advancement, increased income, and increased leisure—could ever outweigh the misery of social alienation and commodity fetishism it simultaneously inflicted. This understanding of modern society was significantly influenced by Marx's theory of alienation, which the situationists extensively expanded upon and adapted; they asserted that the extension of social alienation and commodity relations was no longer limited to the fundamental components of capitalist society, such as production or the class system, but now reached across every aspect of life and culture.
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.