At a Glance
- Secret Mall Apartment chronicles eight Rhode Island artists who built a hidden 750-square-foot space inside Providence Place.
- They lived there from 2003 to 2007, hiding beneath a movie theater.
- The story was revealed in a 2026 Netflix documentary that reunited the group after two decades.
- Why it matters: The film shows how art can challenge commercial spaces and how a small act of resistance can echo for years.
The 2026 Netflix release of Secret Mall Apartment brings to light a daring art collective’s four-year experiment living in a concealed space inside Providence Place. Eight artists, led by tape artist Michael Townsend and his partner Adriana Valdez-Young, turned a hidden nook into a makeshift home while critiquing the mall’s capitalist ethos.
The Birth of a Hidden Home
- The group formed after the developers demolished their former commune, Fort Thunder, in 2003.
- Townsend spotted an unused area below the mall’s theater and convinced Valdez-Young to explore it.
- They built a cinderblock wall to conceal the entrance and installed basic furnishings: a couch, PlayStation, TV, and waffle-maker.
- They relied on the mall’s electricity but used public restrooms for water.
Townsend recalled to Dwell in March 2025 that he “identified a space that didn’t fit into my calculus of usefulness.” The couple’s plan was both a protest against developers and a collaborative art project.
Life Inside the Mall
- The apartment was 750-square-foot, a cramped but functional living area.
- The artists filmed their experience with a $129 camera from Radio Shack, creating an archival record.
- They intended to stay for a week but ended up living there for four years.
- The space became a performance art piece and a critique of consumer culture.
The group’s footage, described by director Jeremy Workman as “incredible,” was shot continuously, fitting the camera into an Altoids case for easy concealment.
Discovery and Arrest
- In 2007, mall security discovered the apartment after an outsider was flagged.
- Townsend was arrested for breaking and entering, later reduced to trespassing.
- He was sentenced to six months probation on Oct. 2, 2007 and banned from the mall for life.
- The group had anticipated being caught, but the arrest came after Townsend invited a Hong Kong artist.
Townsend told Boston.com that breaking the rule of not inviting outsiders was a “small sense of relief” because he had expected it.
Legal Aftermath
- Townsend pleaded no contest to misdemeanor trespassing.
- The mall’s security admitted they had no authority to file a criminal record and opted to let him go.
- The ban was lifted after the documentary premiered at the mall in March 2025, according to Bloomberg.
Workman explained to MovieMaker that the mall was embarrassed by the situation and preferred to keep the incident low-profile.
The Documentary and Reunion
- The film premiered on Netflix on Jan. 23, 2026.
- Townsend agreed to the project only when all seven other artists were included.
- The documentary offers interviews from all eight artists, detailing their motivations and experiences.
- Townsend described the project as an “insane climb up the cultural ladder” in an interview with Boston.com.
The film’s release allowed the artists to revisit their story and share how it shaped their careers.
Where the Artists Are Now
- Townsend continues as a tape artist, traveling with partner Leah.
- Valdez-Young now lives in the Bronx as a design researcher and educator.
- Zehngebot moved to Brooklyn, working as an artist.
- Bliss, Oesch, Scheing, Mercer, and Ustach remain artists and educators in Providence.
- The group’s collective experience remains a defining moment in their artistic journeys.
Key Takeaways
- A small group of artists can transform a commercial space into a living art installation.
- The project highlighted tensions between creative communities and corporate development.
- The 2026 documentary revived a nearly forgotten chapter of Rhode Island’s art history.
- Legal outcomes were mild, and the artists’ ban was eventually lifted.
- The experience continues to influence the artists’ work and public engagement.
