Situationist Legacy Examined Through Contemporary Urban Practice and Historical Context

McKenzie Wark explores the significance of Situationist International concepts in contemporary cities. He highlights Jacqueline de Jong's exhibition "Pinball Wizard" at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, running from 9 February to 18 August 2019, and her contributions to The Situationist Times (1962–64). Wark compares his experience of dérive in Las Vegas with those of artists like Stewart Home and Laura Oldfield Ford. He delves into Guy Debord's theory of spectacle and Constant Nieuwenhuys's vision of New Babylon (1956–74) as a form of Marxist-Situationist urban idealism. The piece discusses détournement in relation to separation and references memoryoftheworld.org, mentioning figures such as René Viénet and Michèle Bernstein. Wark concludes that the strategies of the Situationists still hold relevance today, despite their co-optation.