Lesson 8: Locative Media: Psychogeography and the Derive Part 2
This week you will continue to walk aimlessly without purpose and potentially receive class credit for doing so  within the context of locative art and
psychogeographic practice. Psychogeography, according to Guy Debord, is ““the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical
environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals.” In this lesson we examine the practices of contemporary
locative media practitioners.
Learning Objectives
Walk aimlessly as a methodology for
gathering data for artmaking.
Locate nexus between mapping and art in
the work of contemporary
psychogeography.
Experiment with experiencing both physical
and virtual places through the practice of
derive.
Learning Materials & Resources
READINGS
Read Marc Tuters interesting take on
locative media.
http://networkedpublics.org/locative_media
/beyond_locative_media
And finally Questioning the Frame by Coco
Fusco
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/1750
ONLINE PROJECTS AND RESOURCES
Please peruse the following links to see
the work of artists and collectives who
employ psychogeography in their practice
as inspiration for this lesson’s experiments
in psychogeography.
Petra Gemeinboeck
http://www.impossiblegeographies.net/
Christopher Witmore: Peripatetic Video
http://proteus.brown.edu/witmore/2241
Toronto Psychogeographic Society
How Learning will be Assessed (Methods for
Evaluation)
FLAVORS OF LOCATIVE MEDIA
According to Marc Tuters, what are the two categories of
locative media work? Please describe the differences
between each practice.
CRITICISMS OF LOCATIVE MEDIA
What are some of the criticisms of contemporary locative
media practices? Be specific and refer both the Tuters and
Fusco articles.
LOCATIVE MEDIA AS PROGRESSIVE PROJECT
What are the promises or utopian projects associated with
locative media?
LOCATING PLAY
In your own words, how is locative media/psychogeography
akin to play?
EXPERIMENT 8-PART -PERFORMING AND DOCUMENTING A
VIRTUAL DERIVE
Debord states that the optimal derive involves a small group
of 2-3 people. I will put you in groups of three. Please
communicate with one another via email, chat, phone and
do a virtual derive. This could involve but not be limited to
http://www.psychogeography.ca/who.htm
Critique of Separation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX3Wgnl
sX0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgJZW
CSvDSE&feature=related
My Parking Day http://my.parkingday.org/
Teri Rueb
http://www.terirueb.net/i_index.html
Please look especially at the piece, “Drift”,
First square on first row.
Center for Locative Media Projects Page
http://www.locative-media.org/projects/
Richard Long
http://www.richardlong.org/
Hamish Fulton
http://www.hamish-fulton.com/
Iain Sinclair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s8ItFs4
Xbk
Paul Conneally
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Haiku.jpg
Will Self
the following forms of derive recording media. If live close to
one another, you could physically meet, you could do a
conference call, email or chat and do your derive in Google
Earth, Google Maps, or Mapquest. You could even do it via
mail, cell phones and maps that you make and follow in real
physical space. The possibilities of how to do this are only
limited by your imagination. Be sure you have a way of
documenting your derive. Aside from some basic ground
rules set up by each group, the process of the derive should
be as unconscious as possible. Additionally, please cite as
part of your process work the artists or ideas from the
Resource links that influenced our group’s derive. Please
submit your group’s process work and piece to the
assignment drop box and then post another copy of your
piece to the discussion so that your classmates can view
and comment upon your group’s assignment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSm3
147rzg&feature=related
Making Maps: DIY Cartography
http://makingmaps.net/2009/06/22/makingpsychogeography-maps/
Psychogeographic Guide of Paris
http://imaginarymuseum.org/LPG/Mapsitu1
.htm
Locative Media Bibliography
http://leoalmanac.org/resources/biblio/locat
ivemedia.html
Conflux http://confluxfestival.org/