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

Why It Matters

By exposing how sign removal and vague rules marginalize vulnerable populations, Johnson’s project spotlights a hidden mechanism that reshapes public space and influences future city planning and social equity debates.

Key Takeaways

• Artist highlights removal of conduct signs from privately owned public spaces.
• Regulations require owners to post visible rules for public notice.
• Signs often target unhoused and protest activities like Occupy Wall Street.
• Vague language enables subjective removal based on appearance or behavior.
• Project reflects collaboration between state and private entities to control public life.

Summary

David L. Johnson’s audio guide teaser for the Whitney Biennial 2026 introduces his project “Rule,” which interrogates the systematic removal of codes‑of‑conduct signage from privately owned public spaces in New York City.

Johnson explains that city planning regulations obligate owners to display visible rules, yet many owners simply take the signs down, leaving the public without notice of restrictions. He cites common prohibitions—no lying down, no tents, no amplified sound—that echo the language used to police Occupy Wall Street and target unhoused individuals.

He points out the ambiguity of signs that ban “annoying behavior” or prohibit “gang colors,” allowing owners or state partners to subjectively decide who may be removed. These examples illustrate how vague wording can be weaponized against marginalized groups.

The work underscores a broader collaboration between municipal authorities and private developers to regulate everyday life, raising questions about the erosion of truly public spaces and the implications for civil liberties, activism, and urban policy.

Original Description

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 here: https://guides.bloombergconnects.org/en-US/guide/whitneyMuseumOfAmericanArt/item/de087b02-e8e1-4285-9232-a9e8a0a14e3e

Find out more about Whitney Biennial 2026 on our website here: https://whitney.org/exhibitions/2026-biennial. Experience our signature exhibition now through August 23rd, and book your tickets now: whitney.org/admission

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