The revolution of everyday life

In 1958 Guy Debord produced his “Theory of the Dérive” where he defines dérive [literally: “drifting”] (one of the basic situationist practices) by “a technique of a rapid passage through varied ambiances. Dérives involve playful-constructive behavior and awareness of psychogeographical effects, and are thus quite different from the classic notions of journey or stroll.” What captured my interest in the situationists and the definition of dérive is its legacy to our contemporary society. There are tons of exemples one could pick up to ilustrate this legacy, from basically all areas of the knowledge, but I want to focus my attention in something that although is already out there for quite a while is still unknown for the common urban inhabitants – parkour. “Parkour is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls.”...and yes, art became part of the fabric of everyday life.

 

...and I never thought I would find traceurs on my small home town!
"Traditional art is inadequate for the new dynamic complications of modern life." - Charles Baudelaire