Most of the Situationist methods don’t work today anymore …

Martin Krenn: Neala Schleuning

I think that the SI was really an interesting movement in the 1960s. They were able to deliver a message with just a few words and they developed new artistic techniques to raise political awareness. But nowadays subversive Situationist techniques are integrated in main-stream culture, used in media such as Internet, TV and print media. Situationist techniques are frequently used by the advertisement industry. For example there are these teaser billboard campaigns that at first don’t tell you which product they promote. There is a provocative slogan on the poster and one month later; only then, on the successive poster the actual product is advertised. And then you realize, ah this is not a subversive Situationist art project, it is just an advert. Ikea made one such campaign 2010 in Austria. Their slogan was: “For 90 years always the same theatre: The Salzburg Festival.” One month later they added their Logo and a new slogan to the poster: “Have you ever thought about new plays for Salzburg?” and they presented their new Ikea rag doll elk for 4,99 Euro.