Indecline Locks Trump Lookalike in Cage at His Own Chicago Hotel
The activist collective Indecline infiltrated the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, transforming a $1,000-a-night suite into an installation called The People's Prison. They locked a Donald Trump lookalike in a cage filled with live rats, surrounded by portraits of American activists and revolutionaries painted by 13 artists on U.S. flags. The figures include Hunter S. Thompson, Betty Friedan, Muhammad Ali, Noam Chomsky, and Angela Davis. The collective posed as guests, removed furniture, built concrete walls, and installed the cage with gold handcuffs. After one day, they restored the room to its original state. A member told Artnet they wanted to imprison Trump in his own castle, contrasting him with America's history of political resistance. Indecline had previously targeted Trump in 2016 with The Emperor Has No Balls, sculptures depicting him naked and under-endowed.
Key facts
- Indecline is an activist collective of writers, filmmakers, and photographers.
- The installation was titled The People's Prison.
- It took place at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.
- The suite cost $1,000 per night.
- The cage contained live rats.
- 13 artists each painted a portrait of an activist or revolutionary on a U.S. flag.
- Portraits included Hunter S. Thompson, Betty Friedan, Muhammad Ali, Noam Chomsky, and Angela Davis.
- The installation lasted one day before the room was restored.
- Indecline previously created The Emperor Has No Balls in 2016.
Entities
Artists
- Indecline
- Manny Vega
- Martin Roth
Institutions
- Trump International Hotel and Tower
- Artnet
- East Harlem Community Education Center
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- New York