Dérive

The dérive is tool to stimulate noticing – see Guy Debord’s theorisation in the Internationale Situationiste journal. It was specifically directed to noticing the mutual interactions of spatialities and subjectivities.

The dérive is a walk in which “participants let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there” (p. 62) It is a playful psycho-geographical practice.

The dérive usually involves a small group walking independently but pooling their awarenesses and impressions at the end of a designated time. They often recorded their experiences in writing and/or image.

The dérive is beyond a casual stroll and usually involves strategic experiments in the production of random-ness. These might be in the form of reconstructed maps, instructions, throwing a dice or other predetermined prompts.  An oh yes – there’s an app for that too!! This kind of guidance helps to break the invisible boundaries of habit and familiarity.

( Long youtube lecture on the Situationist Internationale and the dérive by Tyrus Miller)

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