Don Leicht, a multifaceted creator, shaped his career with a sharp perspective on the transformations of contemporary urban society. Active for over forty years, he established himself as a central figure in New York’s underground art scene in the 1970s. Far from merely crossing the boundaries of traditional art, he transformed public spaces with works that reflect a keen social critique. His collaboration with artist John Fekner, which began in 1976, marked the start of a series of installations and works in steel and aluminum that challenge our relationship with technology, urbanization, and the rapid pace of modernity. In 1980, during the People’s Convention in the South Bronx, Leicht and Fekner presented a powerful visual work. Fekner used stencils with striking messages (“Decay,” “Broken Promises,” “Save Our School”), while Leicht installed small “Birdfeeder” sculptures for children in the neighborhood. This initiative was designed to highlight unfulfilled political promises and the deteriorating conditions of disadvantaged areas. The event coincided with Ronald Reagan’s visit to the same area, where he pledged reforms, echoing similar promises made by Jimmy Carter a few years prior. The works by Leicht and Fekner thus underscored the gap between political promises and the reality experienced by Bronx residents. Leicht’s work takes on another dimension in his series inspired by iconic arcade games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. In 1983, Glenn O’Brien, in a review for Artforum, commented on these figures, which were cut from thick aluminum and enameled in bright colors, then distressed and abraded to evoke a society worn down by mass technology. The worn surface of each figure, bearing signs of use like graffiti on telephone booths, becomes a visual symbol of the impact of media and popular entertainment on urban society. This abrasive effect, revealing raw metal beneath the enamel, serves as a metaphor for the cracks in modernity. Today, his works and installations remain a testament to a time marked by the rise of technology and existential questioning. They continue to inspire reflection on the role of public art and the power of urban aesthetics as a means of cultural resistance.