Theory of the

DériveElissa Anderson, Nora Brewington, Miguel Granados

How to break it down…

DériveChancePlaces and Spaces

Official Definition of Dérive:“A technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances. It involves playful constructive behavior and awareness of psychogreographical effects, and are thus quite different from the classic notions of journey or stroll.”

What that said…Dérive

So Basically…..Drop everything and interact with the area around you.

Who can Participate and for how long?You can be alone. However, it works best in groups of 2-3.

-These others would be at the same level of awareness.

Average Duration: 1 day

Chance. What is it?

The unexpected or unplanned occurrences during the dérive.It is more effective when you dérive in an urban environment.It is least effective when wandering in an open country.

Tadpoles

‘Tadpoles could be considered more spontaneously liberated than the surrealists, since they have the advantage of being “as stripped as possible of intelligence, sociability and sexuality,” and are thus “truly independent from one another”’

‘ “Men can see nothing around them that is not in their own image; everything speaks to them of themselves. Their very landscape is alive.” ‘

Places and SpacesDefinition of Psychogeography:“An approach to geography that emphasizes playfulness and “drifting” around urban environments”“the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals”

What that said…

How our behaviors and emotions respond to drifting in an urban environment.

Urban Environments

Spatial Fields

Urban environments are the best because there is a lot to respond to.The spatial field may be limited or vague depending on whether the goal is to study the terrain or to emotionally disorient oneself.

Spatial Fields continued…

In every case the spatial field depends on the point of departure.The point of departure is the residence of the solo dériver or the meeting place selected by a groupThe exploration of a fixed spatial field entails establishing bases and calculating directions of entering that field.

You have probably already Dérived

When you…..Snuck into that place you weren’t supposed to be.Or went on an adventure without a destination.These are all expressions of a more general sensibility which if no different than that of a dérive.

Thank You!