[DEBORD, Guy et al.] Première exposition de psychogéographie. Brussels: Galerie Taptoe, February 1957. 1 p. (two-sided); 21 x 14 cm.; black ink on red stock (front) and white stock (back).

Rare leaflet for “Première exposition de psychogéographie” at the Galerie Taptoe in Brussels between 2 February and 28 February, 1957. This collective exhibition showcased works from the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus, the Letterist International, and the London Psychogeographical Institute (i.e., Ralph Rumney) — all if which would merge into the Situationist International only a few months thereafter. It was supposed to include works by Guy Debord (” Plans psychogéographiques de Paris”), Asger Jorn (“Peintures et céramiques sensationnelles”), Yves Klein (“Tableaux monochromes”), Ralph Rumney (“Peintures”), Michèle Bernstein et Mohamed Dahou (“Photographies”) as well as anonymous contributions including “a drawing by a mad psychogeographer” (perhaps Ivan Chtcheglov, who authored the influential “Formulary for a New Urbanism” in 1953).

However, the exhibition did not come about as advertised here. Following a missed appointment with Asger Jorn at the Gare du Nord in Paris (such things were more common in the pre-cell phone era), Debord became angry at the Danish painter and refused to travel to Brussels. The conflict would de-escalate: Jorn and Debord signed a formal agreement in April 1957, then traveled to Denmark and collaborated on the artist book Fin de Copenhague and two psychogeographic maps (The Naked City, Guide Psychogeographique de Paris). However, Debord’s works were never shown at Taptoe. In fact, it is not known to this day which parts (if any) of the original announcement actually materialized. The only thing we are certain of is that a collective painting, bearing the signatures of Jorn, Rumney, Klein and Ting, was created on the occasion of this potential exhibition. Excerpts of the 6-page catalog mockup (it would never be published) for the exhibition can be found in Guy Debord. Oeuvres (Paris: Gallimard, 2006), pp.282-285 and in Guy Debord, Un art de la guerre (Paris: Gallimard, 2013), p. 81.

Guy Debord: un art de la guerre p. 80. Gonzalvez p.104-106. Guy Debord: Oeuvres p. 280-281. Scheppe p. 675.

We located 3 copies of this leaflet, at Yale, the Getty, and the French National Library.