Beyond Spectacle:The Exploration And Evolution Of Psychogeography In The Digital Age

This paper takes the critical theory of space "psychogeography" proposed by Situationist International in the 1950 s as the research object,and further explores its development in the digital age.Psychogeography originated from the Alphabetist movement and Situationist International(SI)and is considered to study the phenomenon of urban character.This urban identity is mediated through the influence of Marxist and Frankfurt School concepts,including alienation,cultural industries,and commodity fetishism.The concept of psychogeography is a rather volatile one,engaging with the landscape both subjectively and objectively,while emphasizing emotional and political connections to "what is seen as a capitalist space".Guy Debord’s "psychogeography" was to create newer urban spaces and through "the study of the precise laws and specific effects of geographic environment on individual mood and behavior".Psychogeography constitutes a new form of criticism aimed at challenging the increasingly alienated and schizophrenic society of the landscape.In the first part,the article mainly introduces the background of "psychogeography",and then studies the related concepts of "psychogeography".Then there is a contemporary reinvention and rediscovery of psychogeography and its practical exploration in the fields of literature,urban exploration and popular culture.The second part(Chapters 2-4)is the main part of this paper,detailing the evolution of psychogeography in the digital age,as well as related case studies.With the rapid development of digital technology,the digital age has not only brought about the renewal of concepts,but also brought great changes to our way of life and work.However,does the use of digital media and new technologies in the process of actually walking through the landscape,or the virtual process of "walking" the Internet,to explore a space full of impulses and information,constitutes a practice? More specifically,does the use of new technology in the context of artistic production gain explicit sociopolitical content,or does it constitute a medium for abstract experimentation?The second half of this paper focuses on the thinning and convergence of perceptions caused by the rapid development of the digital age.Especially in the context of the new crown epidemic,the reduction of group gatherings,as well as long-term isolation and remote learning and working,have resulted in people’s increasing dependence on the Internet and changes in online life,which have made people’s anxiety and alienation more obvious.In the fourth chapter,I try to combine relevant contemporary art cases and my own creative practice to explore whether the psychogeography of the digital age can be combined with digital technology as a strategy to deal with the Alienation phenomenon.And how,as a way of moving,feeling and experiencing,we can adapt to the speed and multiplicity of the digital age and live better in the moment.