Resting in public spaces can be viewed as an act of radical resistance, as a way of challenging neoliberal norms. For artist and activist Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, rest and sleep play a role in healing trauma, "to reclaim our bodies as our own."
But it can also be interpreted as the result of neoliberal, post-industrial society. After all, falling asleep in public is only accepted, or tolerated, if it is seen as a choice rather than a need. The "power nap" is perceived as a sign of hard work, an inevitable a symptom of the exhaustion of excessive production.
Napping is an ongoing project of chance encounters with public rest and what it means.
