NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) - An artist in Bushwick, Brooklyn is charging $1 per day to anyone who wants to rent his 'jail cell' complete with 24-hour surveillance.
Miao Jiaxin says the social experiment is intended to give people a sense of what it's like to be a newly arrived immigrant in the United States. Jiaxin left his homeland of China in 2006 and felt alienated when he arrived in New York City.
He converted his studio on Van Buren St. into a jail cell. The 6-by-8, 6-foot tall cell is available for bookings, but occupants must agree to remain in the cage for at least three hours every morning. Also, they cannot sleep, write, exercise, surf the Internet, read or make any crafts.
Some of the other requirements include a $300 deposit and a minimum two -day stay; maximum five days.
Jiaxin plans on renting the studio-turned-jail cell for one year.
"That room was my studio. I’m supposed to work in there. I’m a performance artist. I don’t really need to have a big space to make objects. From now I think I’m going to think and sit with other people," said Jiaxin.
