Strasbourg
Related: Switzerland - Situationist InternationalNovember 22: Distribution at the official opening of Strasbourg University of the brochure On the Poverty of Student Life, Considered in its Economic, Political, Psychological, Sexual and Especially Intellectual Aspects, with a Modest Proposal for Doing Away With It, published by the AFGES and the French National Students Union (UNEF) as a special supplement to 21-27 Étudiants de France, edited by members of the SI (principally by Mustapha Khayati) and the students of Strasbourg. --http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/chronology/1966.html [Aug 2004]
Europe's First Avant-Garde
Patrick O'Brien and Ambrosius Fjord [Thorsen and Nash]
No avant-garde group in Europe in the 1960's have been so early, so radical, so productive and so inclusive as the Situationists from the Second Situationist International.
In fact they were the avant-garde not only for what now with a mondeaneous expression is called the youth revolution, but in creating a whole new aspect on creativity thus establishing a broad spectrum of new possibilities which not even at this moment are fully explored.
They were Provos long before Provo. In his book on Provo the Dutch author Simon Vinkenoog tells that the Provo origins in its ideas from the former Situationist Constant Niewenhuis. In his book on the French Mai Revolution, Jacques Landsmann in the same way states that Provo was founded by a former Situationist Jean-Louis Breau tells that Provo originates from and excluded Situationists.
The Situationists from the Second Situationist International initiated cultural revolt back in 1961 whey they started revolts and manifestations against the consumerist society and its branches, Urbanism and Authoritarian organisation in Art. They did this often in open conflict with police and authorities and they have received a series of fines and other punishments for this. Famous cases are the SPUR case, the Little Mermaid case and the cases for illegal occupations and detournation of the streets of Copenhagen.
Through for instance the CO-RITUS-experiments they tried to include the audience in the creative process and to erect alternatives to the mondeaneous American domination of art life in the sixties through semi official events like happenings pop-art etc. Ambrosius Fjord - Patric O'Brien --http://www.infopool.org.uk/7101.html [Aug 2004]
your Amazon recommendations