How Much is that Nigger* in the Window a.k.a. Tompkins Square Crawl
Information about the artwork
- Translated title* This is the original title of the artist. Pope.L deliberately exposed the term as racist, drawing the attention of non-Black people in particular to structural racism and verbal violence. For this reason, the original title has not been changed.
- Year1991
- Material5 parts; inkjet print on paper
- Year of acquisition2023
- Inventory numberUAB 1320
- On viewGround floor
- Copyright© Pope.L, Courtesy of the artist and Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York
More about the artwork
Since the 1970s, Pope.L has been best known for his series of performances and interventions in public space. In particular, his performative “crawls” across the ground, address the precarious social dynamics of urban spaces in the United States. The five photographs were taken in 1991 during the performance “Tompkins Square Crawl,” in which the artist crawled along a street at Tompkins Square Park in a dark business suit. In his right hand he held a yellow flower: “I decided to have a flower—not a fake flower, but a real one. And I had to figure out how you keep a flower in one piece throughout a crawl.” The park in New York’s East Village has repeatedly been the scene of unrest between homeless people, activists and the police. Pope.L’s action was also stopped after a passerby reported it as degrading. When asked by police if he was crazy, the artist replied: “No, I’m working.”
