Secret Mall Apartment: Living in a Mall for 4 Years

The Genesis of a Secret Mall Apartment

• 💡 The story of the "Secret Mall Apartment" is chronicled in the documentary of the same name, directed by Jeremy Workman.
• 🎯 In the 1990s, Providence, Rhode Island, under Mayor Buddy Cianci, saw simultaneous development of a large mall and the displacement of artists from industrial mill buildings.
• 🔑 Artists, paying low rent ($200-$300/month), lost their studios and homes as developers eyed these spaces for retail.
• 🚀 This led to a "week in the mall" experiment in 2003, where a group of artists explored the mall intimately, facing the challenge of where to sleep.

From Prank to Political Statement

• 🎭 Initially perceived as a quirky prank, the "Secret Mall Apartment" evolved into a significant statement against gentrification and the corporatization of cities.
• 🎨 The collective's artistic background, including a large-scale tape-art memorial for 9/11 victims, informed their approach to living in the mall.
• 🛠️ This prior experience with temporary, unauthorized art installations prepared them for the challenges of their mall residency.
• 🎥 Over 25 hours of footage was captured by the artists using an $89 RadioShack camera, documenting their entire experience.

The Art of Evasion and Documentation

• 📹 The artists filmed extensively, not with the initial intent of making a documentary, but as a habit developed from their tape art projects.
• 📸 This documentation included furnishing the space, moving in large items like couches and a cinder-block wall, and even personal moments like a breakup in the food court.
• 📱 The grainy, low-frame-rate footage, shot before the ubiquity of smartphones, lent a unique authenticity to the narrative.
• 🔒 Security was surprisingly lax, partly due to the post-9/11 focus on "soft targets" and a general lack of preparedness for such an audacious act.

Mall Nostalgia and Artistic Motivation

• 💭 Despite malls symbolizing corporate greed, a significant portion of the population (50-70%) expresses nostalgia for them, perhaps for the social and shopping aspects.
• 🧠 The artists were driven by a deep-seated frustration rather than anger, focusing on noble pursuits like creating art for children with disabilities.
• 🌟 Michael Townsend, a central figure, is portrayed as a dedicated artist whose passion, not fame or money, fueled his actions.
• 🤝 The "Secret Mall Apartment" project had a broader civic aspect, standing up against gentrification and demonstrating a unique form of protest.

Legal Ramifications and Intellectual Property

• ⚖️ The group was eventually arrested, but the legal outcome was surprisingly lenient: a $60 fine for misdemeanor trespassing and a six-month probation.
• 🗣️ The mall's lawyer inadvertently strengthened their case by detailing the apartment's furnishings in court, suggesting a thoughtful, intentional act rather than a mere prank.
• 💰 The mall's legal team attempted to claim intellectual property rights over the story, arguing that the trespass gave them ownership.
• 🎬 Ultimately, the artists retained ownership of their story, which was then molded into the documentary "Secret Mall Apartment."