The group of eight artists, led by Michael Townsend, erected a 750‑square‑foot living space behind a cinderblock wall in an unused section of Providence Place in 2003. They wired the area to the mall’s electricity, used public restrooms, and fitted the room with a sofa, television, PlayStation, and a waffle‑maker.
The experiment, intended as a week‑long field study, stretched to four years. The artists visited sporadically, turning the hidden apartment into a social hub where they shared ideas, rehearsed performances, and relaxed away from the bustle of the mall.
In 2007 Townsend invited a Hong Kong artist into the space, violating the group’s rule that the apartment remain a closed circle. Mall security noticed the extra visitor, located the concealed door, and uncovered the secret dwelling, ending the experiment.
Townsend was charged with breaking and entering, a charge later reduced to misdemeanor trespassing. He pleaded no contest, was given six months probation, and the Providence Place management imposed a lifetime ban on his entry.
The incident inspired Jeremy Workman’s documentary "Secret Mall Apartment," which premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. The film blends archival footage with post‑discovery interviews to examine gentrification, artist displacement, and the limits of creative intervention in private commercial property.