“Group of Friends Unexpectedly Lives in a Mall for Four Years”
# **The Secret Mall Apartment: A Hidden World Within Consumerism**
In 2003, a group of artists occupied a 750-square-foot hidden space inside an upscale mall in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. What started as an experiment in creativity and resourcefulness became a home—one that lasted for four years before being discovered. This astonishing story has now been unveiled in the feature-length documentary *Secret Mall Apartment* (2024), directed by Jeremy Workman.
## **The Creation of the Hidden Apartment**
The group, led by artist Michael Townsend, stumbled upon the small, abandoned area beneath the mall’s infrastructure while considering a project critiquing consumer culture. Rather than simply documenting the space, they decided to inhabit it.
Living inside the mall without detection was no small feat. The space lacked running water, meaning the group relied on the mall’s public restrooms. They entered and exited undetected, carefully timing their movements to avoid security. Over time, they furnished their secret home with a couch, chairs, a table, a PlayStation 2, and even painted walls to make it feel like a real home. They could not receive mail or utilities, but they created a livable space inside a commercial structure designed solely for shopping and consumption.
## **The Artistic and Social Experiment**
For the collective, this hidden residency was an exploration of space, consumerism, and how people interact with commercial environments. Townsend, a pioneer of **tape art**, believed their project was an artistic statement—a durational performance art piece highlighting the overlooked spaces within modern urban infrastructure.
Their apartment was not just a living space but also a headquarters for their artistic and social projects. The artists were involved in various public art installations, including the “Hope Project” (2001), where they created large tape-art silhouettes of 9/11 victims, and the Oklahoma City “Week of Hope” (2005), a collaborative mural effort marking the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
## **The Discovery and Legal Consequences**
In 2007, security officers finally uncovered the hidden dwelling. Townsend was arrested, charged with trespassing, and banned from the mall for life. Despite the legal ramifications, their story became legendary in underground art circles and urban exploration communities, sparking discussions about the boundaries of public and private spaces.
## **From Mystery to Documentary: “Secret Mall Apartment”**
For years, countless filmmakers approached Townsend to tell his story, but he declined. Finally, in 2019, Townsend met director Jeremy Workman, who saw the project not just as an act of rebellion but as a genuine artistic expression. With Townsend’s trust, Workman was granted access to 24 hours of never-before-seen footage documenting the group’s secret life in the mall.
The documentary presents a blend of archived video recordings, present-day interviews, and reflections on the societal implications of the project. The film explores questions about space ownership, the role of art in commercial environments, and the fine line between transgression and creativity.
## **A Work of Art or an Act of Trespassing?**
Townsend’s story raises complex questions: Was the secret mall apartment a crime? A prank? A conceptual art project? A social experiment? Or a critique of capitalism and gentrification?
The documentary does not provide definitive answers, instead allowing audiences to interpret the project in their own way. Townsend himself saw it as an evolving experiment—sometimes a home, sometimes an underground art installation, and sometimes an act of quiet defiance against the homogenization of urban space.
## **A Legacy of Creativity and Subversion**
The *Secret Mall Apartment* remains one of the most fascinating acts of urban creativity in recent history. It challenges preconceived notions of space, privacy, and the role of public spaces in modern society. Now immortalized in Workman’s documentary, Townsend’s experiment lives on, sparking discussion and inspiring artists, activists, and urban explorers alike.
After all, in a world where every square foot is monetized, the story of a hidden home in the heart of a capitalist monument demonstrates the enduring power of human ingenuity, resilience, and artistic expression.
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*Secret Mall Apartment (2024) is screening at the IFC Center in NYC from March 26–April 3.*