David L. Johnson | Audio Guide Teaser | Whitney Biennial 2026

No lying down No pitching tents No amplified sound No annoying behavior. David L. Johnson's Whitney Biennial work Rule consists of the removal of code-of-conduct signs from privately owned public spaces (POPS). POPS emerged in New York in 1961 following a zoning resolution that permitted private developers to construct taller buildings in exchange for creating nearby park-like spaces for public use. The private owners who control these spaces often set rules that are much more restrictive than those governing city parks and other public places. The use of these code-of-conduct signs also intensified after Occupy Wall Street’s takeover of Zuccotti Park in the fall of 2011. Rule is on view now through August 23 in the Biennial. Listen to the full audio stop.