IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

In 1978, African-American multidisciplinary artist Pope.L (1955-2023) staged one of his most iconic performances, “Times Square Crawl aka Meditation Piece.” Crawling through the streets of Times Square, he embodied labor, vulnerability, and endurance. This groundbreaking performance marked the beginning of a career defined by provocative explorations of race, class, and marginalization; indeed, he is renowned for his subversive public performances that interrogate systems of power and exclusion. Though his 1978 “Crawl” has been widely studied for its commentaries on American racial and class politics, Pope.L’s engagement with homelessness—a pressing issue in 1970s New York—has been largely overlooked in critical literature. To address this gap, this paper situates “Times Square Crawl” within the socio-political context of New York’s housing crisis, exacerbated by deinstitutionalization policies that displaced thousands of mentally ill and vulnerable individuals onto the streets. Performing in Times Square, a space emblematic of economic disparity and contested public life, Pope.L rendered invisible populations hyper-visible, compelling audiences to confront their complicity in systems of exclusion. His performance offers a poignant critique of urban spatial politics and the boundaries of livability. Drawing on performance theory, urban history, and critical analysis, this paper interrogates why homelessness remains a peripheral theme in discussions of Pope.L’s work. It repositions “Times Square Crawl” as both a critique of structural inequality and a call to reimagine public art as a medium for engaging with societal marginalization. This analysis contributes to broader conversations on livable cities, performative resistance, and the politics of public space.