New York-based artist Miao Jiaxin, has offered jail cell accommodation for rent. Confused? He’s created a jail cell in his central Brooklyn studio and listed the room on Airbnb under “$1 USD / Jail’s Seeking Prisoners.” The listing barely lasted 20 hours before Airbnb removed it, claiming that it was “non-accomodation” though. Sad face.
Jiaxin calls his room “The Dream Cage” (creepy) which includes a bed, toilet, sink and clock. Guests must stay for a minimum of two nights and must adhere to the strict rules of the room. They must commit to stay in the cell from 9am till 12pm, where “you CANNOT access internet, NO electronic devices, books, radio, pens or craftwork. You CANNOT talk to anybody. You CANNOT do Yoga or any other exercises. You CANNOT sleep.”
The guests will be monitored for those three hours by two cameras to make sure that they do not break any rules and if they do, they will lose their $100 bond.
Created primarily as an physiological experiment, Jiaxin says that “everybody is living in a cage.”
He has argued against Airbnb’s actions, claiming that the room is still classified as accommodation as it is equipped with “bed, heating, air conditioning, refrigerator, a private full bathroom with shower within the same space.”
Undeterred, he has created a Facebook page for the accommodation, which you can rent out if ever you head to Brooklyn and feel like experiencing life in the slammer. Hey, at least the location is pretty good.
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