Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

This is the first ever English-language anthology collecting texts and documents from the still little-known Scandinavian part of the Situationist movement. The book covers over three decades of writing, from Asger Jorn's Luck and Chance published in 1953, to the statements of the Situationist Antinational set up by Jens Jørgen Thorsen and J.V. Martin in 1974. The writings collected gravitate around the year 1962 when the Situationist movement went through it's most dynamic and critical moments, and the disagreements about the relationship between art and politics came to a culmination, resulting in exclusions and the split of the Situationist International.

The Situationists did not win, and the almost forgotten Scandinavian fractions even less so. The book broadens the understanding of the Situationist movement by bringing into view the wild and unruly activities of the Scandinavian fractions of the organisation and the more artistic, experimental, and actionist attitude that characterised them. They did, nevertheless, constitute a decisive break with the ruling socio-economic order through their project of bringing into being new forms of life. Only an analysis of the multifaceted and often contradictory Situationist revolution will allow us to break away from the dull contemplation of yet another document of Debord's archive or yet another drawing by Jorn. There is a lot to be learned from the history of revolutionary failure. It is along these lines that this book points forward beyond the crisis-ridden capitalist order that survives today.

Texts by: Asger Jorn, Jørgen Nash, Jens Jørgen Thorsen, Bauhaus Situationniste, Jacqueline de Jong, Gordon Fazakerley, Gruppe SPUR, Dieter Kunzelman, J.V. Martin, and Guy Debord.

Translated by: Peter Shield, James Manley, Anja Buchele, Matthew Hyland, Fabian Tompsett, and Jakob Jakobsen.

1122768596
Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

This is the first ever English-language anthology collecting texts and documents from the still little-known Scandinavian part of the Situationist movement. The book covers over three decades of writing, from Asger Jorn's Luck and Chance published in 1953, to the statements of the Situationist Antinational set up by Jens Jørgen Thorsen and J.V. Martin in 1974. The writings collected gravitate around the year 1962 when the Situationist movement went through it's most dynamic and critical moments, and the disagreements about the relationship between art and politics came to a culmination, resulting in exclusions and the split of the Situationist International.

The Situationists did not win, and the almost forgotten Scandinavian fractions even less so. The book broadens the understanding of the Situationist movement by bringing into view the wild and unruly activities of the Scandinavian fractions of the organisation and the more artistic, experimental, and actionist attitude that characterised them. They did, nevertheless, constitute a decisive break with the ruling socio-economic order through their project of bringing into being new forms of life. Only an analysis of the multifaceted and often contradictory Situationist revolution will allow us to break away from the dull contemplation of yet another document of Debord's archive or yet another drawing by Jorn. There is a lot to be learned from the history of revolutionary failure. It is along these lines that this book points forward beyond the crisis-ridden capitalist order that survives today.

Texts by: Asger Jorn, Jørgen Nash, Jens Jørgen Thorsen, Bauhaus Situationniste, Jacqueline de Jong, Gordon Fazakerley, Gruppe SPUR, Dieter Kunzelman, J.V. Martin, and Guy Debord.

Translated by: Peter Shield, James Manley, Anja Buchele, Matthew Hyland, Fabian Tompsett, and Jakob Jakobsen.

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Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

by Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen, Jakob Jakobsen
Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

Cosmonauts of the Future: Texts from the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia and Elsewhere

by Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen, Jakob Jakobsen

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Overview


This is the first ever English-language anthology collecting texts and documents from the still little-known Scandinavian part of the Situationist movement. The book covers over three decades of writing, from Asger Jorn's Luck and Chance published in 1953, to the statements of the Situationist Antinational set up by Jens Jørgen Thorsen and J.V. Martin in 1974. The writings collected gravitate around the year 1962 when the Situationist movement went through it's most dynamic and critical moments, and the disagreements about the relationship between art and politics came to a culmination, resulting in exclusions and the split of the Situationist International.

The Situationists did not win, and the almost forgotten Scandinavian fractions even less so. The book broadens the understanding of the Situationist movement by bringing into view the wild and unruly activities of the Scandinavian fractions of the organisation and the more artistic, experimental, and actionist attitude that characterised them. They did, nevertheless, constitute a decisive break with the ruling socio-economic order through their project of bringing into being new forms of life. Only an analysis of the multifaceted and often contradictory Situationist revolution will allow us to break away from the dull contemplation of yet another document of Debord's archive or yet another drawing by Jorn. There is a lot to be learned from the history of revolutionary failure. It is along these lines that this book points forward beyond the crisis-ridden capitalist order that survives today.

Texts by: Asger Jorn, Jørgen Nash, Jens Jørgen Thorsen, Bauhaus Situationniste, Jacqueline de Jong, Gordon Fazakerley, Gruppe SPUR, Dieter Kunzelman, J.V. Martin, and Guy Debord.

Translated by: Peter Shield, James Manley, Anja Buchele, Matthew Hyland, Fabian Tompsett, and Jakob Jakobsen.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9788799365180
Publisher: Autonomedia
Publication date: 10/01/2015
Pages: 304
Product dimensions: 5.70(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author


Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen is an art historian and political theorist. He is associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and has published books and articles on the revolutionary tradition and modern art.

Jakob Jakobsen is an artist and political organizer. He ran the Copenhagen Free University, cofounded the artist run TV station tvtv and has participated in exhibitions all over the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen Jakob Jakobsen 7

Luck and Change Dagger and Guitar Asger Jorn 19

Spur Manifesto Gruppe Spur 44

Situationist Manifesto 47

Tract Gruppe Spur 51

Our Reply Gruppe Spur 52

Canon of the Revolution Dieter Kunzelmann 57

Homage to C.G. Jung Dieter Kunzelmann 59

Drakabygget Dieter Kunzelmann 62

Mutant Guy Debord Asger Jorn 65

Nicht Hinauslehnen! 69

Nicht Hinauslehnen! 71

Proclamation From The First Situationist International 73

Critique of the Political Practice of Detournement Jacqueline De Jong 77

Press Release from the Situationist International, Scandinavian Section 85

The Struggle of the Situcratic Society: A Situationist Manifesto 89

Antipolitical Activity J.V. Martin 97

On the Spur Trial Jacqueline De Jong 102

The Freedom of Art Jørgen Nash 106

Seven Rebels Jørgen Nash Jens Jørgen Thorsen Gordon Fazakerley Jacqueline De Jong Ansgar Elde Hardy Strid Hans Peter Zimmer 115

Fuck Off! Gordon Fazakerley 116

Blab Blab Blab Gordon Fazakerley 118

Drawings, Poems Gordon Fazakerley 121

Atomic Bombs for the Culture Industry Gruppe Spur 122

Co-Ritus Manifesto Jens Jørgen Thorsen Jørgen Nash Hardy Strid 125

Slogans Jørgen Nash Jens Jørgen Thorsen Dieter Kunzelmann 129

Luxury and Martyrdom Jacqueline de Jong 130

The Natural Order Asger Jorn 133

Critique of Economic Policy Asger Jorn 177

Co-Ritus Interview: Art Is Pop - Co-Ritus is Art - Divided We Stand Jørgen Nash Jens Jørgen Thorsen 206

Labyrinth Project Gordon Fazakerley 211

The Situationists and the New Action Forms in Politics and Art Guy Debord 215

Homo Ludens Else Steen Hansen 222

Re: "Destruction of Rsg-6" 226

Who are the Situationists? Jørgen Nash 228

The Natural Smile Jørgen Nash 232

Pop J.V. Martin 236

On the Triolectical Method in its Applications in General Situlogy Asger Jorn 238

The Freedom of Expression is Not for Sale 250

Pamphlet No. 9 From the Second Situations International Jørgen Nash Hardy Strid 253

The Communicative Phase in Art: An Essay on the Death of Anti-Art Jens Jørgen Thorsen 256

Neo-Irrealism: The Decline and Fall of the Fourth Reich J.V. Martin Raoul Vaneigem Michèle Bernstein Guy Debord Mustapha Khayati Donald Nicholson-Smith René Vienet 263

Declaration for Our Italian Artists and Comrades: Follow Courbet Jens Jørgen Thorsen Cœsar Jørgen Nash 273

General Remarks Bengt Ericson J.V. Martin 277

On Kiruna 286

Europe's First Avant-Garde Patrick O'Brien Ambrosius Fjord 289

Draft Manifesto of Antinational Situationist Jens Jørgen Thorsen 294

Is This Metaville? A Project for Creative Play Jens Jørgen Thorsen 300

All Culture Is Collective: Notes On Collective Creativity J.V. Martin 304

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