The Influence of Psychogeographic Concepts on Contemporary Artists

Abstract

Many artists in the 20^th century were influenced by the concept of psychogeography through the process of drifting (Dérive) – a French term meaning “floating”. This process involves exploring the city by walking quickly, with the aim of altering the pedestrian’s perspective of the unpredictable city. The ideal outcome is that pedestrians become more aware of the overlooked or neglected urban environment, starting to perceive new things through their senses as part of their everyday experience in urban life. This study examined the creative processes of five contemporary artists: 1) Franz Ackermann, 2) Julie Mehretu, 3) Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, 4) Rirkrit Tiravanija, and 5) Invader. These artists identified their creative processes through the dérive, resulting in artworks with intriguing perspectives, ideas, forms, and techniques.