|
|
Declaration Made in the Name of the Fourth SI Conference to the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Internationale Situationniste # (December 1960)
Translated by Reuben Keehan
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
In an error relating to the terms of acceptance that we had communicated to them, the ICA has announced a declaration by the "International Situationism" movement.
There is no such thing as situationism. No doctrine by that name. It is a practical experiment that we call situationist — a practical experiment organized within a disciplined international movement. If you have now understood that there is no such thing as situationism, then already you have not wasted your evening. And in that case, if you understand something more, then you will leave here with a little extra.
First of all, consider that none of the works we are presently capable of producing have reached a situationist stage. We propose only that we will soon realize — collectively — the first pre-situationist ensembles. You could consider the situationist movement as a new passion with material means at its disposal. We are the new revolution. With every revolutionary of the past abandoned or led astray [détourned] by others; to whom can the task belong, if not us?
We are not interested in an artistic use for language when there are more profound artistic problems. We are interested, above all, in actions. If the chatter were to cease, the result would be at the very least the construction of cities of passion. We are capable of creating ambiances, of liberating human behaviour from boredom.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
From 24 September until today, the Fourth Conference of the Situationist International has gathered the representatives of our Belgian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian and Swedish sections to Limehouse, in the room of the British Sailors Society. We regret that the British section has been prevented from being represented by the scandalous arrest of Alexander Trocchi in the United States.
I now come to the reading of the manifesto submitted to the Conference of the Situationist International, which was adopted unanimously.
(The manifesto that follows appeared in the preceding number of this bulletin.)
|
