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https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-getting-lost-how-re-discovering-your-city-can-be-an-antidote-to-capitalism-221606>
"Do you remember what it was like to discover the magic of a city for the first
time? Do you remember the noises, smells, flashing lights and pulsating crowds?
Or do you mostly remember cities through the screen of your phone?
In 1967, French philosopher and filmmaker Guy Debord publicised the need to
move away from living our lives as bystanders continually tempted by the power
of images. Today, we might see this in a young person flicking from one TikTok
to the next – echoing the hold images have on us. But adults aren’t adverse to
this window-shopping experience, either.
Debord notes we have a tendency to observe rather than engage. And this is to
our detriment. Continually topping-up our image consumption leaves no space for
the unplanned – the reveries to break the pattern of an ordered life.
Debord was a member of a group called the Situationist International, dedicated
to new ways we could reflect upon and experience our cities. Active for about
15 years, they believed we should experience our cities as an act of
resistance, in direct opposition to the (profit-motivated) capitalistic
structures that demand our attention and productivity every waking hour.
More than 50 years since the group dissolved, the Situationists’ philosophy
points us to a continued need to attune ourselves – through our thoughts and
senses – to the world we live in. We might consider them as early eco-warriors.
And through better understanding their philosophy, we can develop a new
relationship with our cities today."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
