By . Anna Sanders . PUBLISHED: . 22:04 EST, 16 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:04 EST, 16 June 2013 . New York City is not known as a camping destination, but one artist is trying to bring the classic summer pastime to the urban jungle. Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Stevenson is hosting free temporary rooftop encampments as part of 'Bivouac New York', giving guests the opportunity to spend a night under the stars on an undisclosed New York City rooftop and get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. 'I think New York City—and Michael Bloomberg's going to kill me—is a playground,' Stevenson told The Village Voice. 'I look at space utilization in New York City and see how we're all trapped indoors. There's plenty of outdoor space, but it's just not public. And then the question becomes, "what is public and what is private?"' Under the stars: Bivouac New York, a temporary rooftop encampment, lets guests camp in the city 'wilderness' Artist: The project is organized by Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Stevenson . Communal: Campers are given coffee and access to a toilet at the temporary campsite . Dining: Guests are asked to bring a protein, starch or vegetable to share in a communal dinner . As part of Stevenson's exploration of this relationship, campers sign up for a spot in one of seven bivouacs, or temporary shelters, for one night in July and August. Guests won't know where they're camping until the day before, when they'll get an email and text notification. Stevenson tells the Voice guests must put down a refundable $200 deposit to ensure everyone who signs up, shows up. While guests can sign up with people they know, Stevenson said meeting strangers is one of the major parts of the project. 'I often don't know anybody,' Stevenson said. 'That's the wonderful part of making participatory art—I don't know what will happen.' Tents: Participants have to bring their own sleeping materials, but tents have a 1-inch wool felt floor . Exploration: Artist Thomas Stevenson is using the project to explore public and private space in the city . Disconnect: Bivouac campers like Anne-Cecile Genne don't have access to the Internet or electricity . The camp's amenities include a family-sized canteen with a picnic table for communal dining. 'Guests are encouraged to live their normal daily lives. They will leave the site each morning, take the subway and conduct their working hours as usual,' the project's website explains. 'Their domestic hours will be spent on the roof, in the great city outdoors, roughing it.' The canvas tents have enough room for two or three campers and have a 1-inch wool felt floor. Campers have to bring sleeping materials, including pillows and blankets, and one item—either a protein, starch or vegetable—for the communal dinner. Campers can use a small library in the canteen, but there is no electricity, Internet or shower. Rooftop: Participants don't know where they'll be camping until the day before . Shelter: The project has seven bivouacs, or temporary shelters, available for participants . Views: The undisclosed rooftops are usually in Bushwick or Williamsburg to get the best views of Manhattan . 'It is all about the experience of disconnecting and meeting,' the Bivouac NYC website reads. Like the traditional campsites, the website notes 'this wilderness has an assortment of opinionated neighbors (new yorkers). please be respectful and try to blend in with your surroundings'. The rooftops will likely be in Bushwick or Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so as to give participants a good view of Manhattan, but Stevenson tells the Voice he wants to do one Bivouac in Midtown. Stevenson said he's played an organizing role at 30 such events in the last 20 months. In August or September, the project will even come to London. The project will be held in New York City from July 12 to 15. For more information or to sign up, visit BivouacNYC.com. Setting up: Campers are given tool kits . Dusk: Guests are encouraged to meet new people during their urban camping trip . Cheap: Participants have to pay a $200 refundable deposit in order to sign up .
Artist Thomas Stevenson is organizing 'Bivouac New York' to give participants access to free temporary rooftop encampments .
Part of a 'participatory art' project to explore public/private space .
Campers share a communal meal and library, but are disconnected from the Internet, electricity or fire (there is a toilet, though)
The campsite location is a secret until the day before .
By . Anna Sanders . PUBLISHED: . 22:04 EST, 16 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:04 EST, 16 June 2013 . New York City is not known as a camping destination, but one artist is trying to bring the classic summer pastime to the urban jungle. Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Stevenson is hosting free temporary rooftop encampments as part of 'Bivouac New York', giving guests the opportunity to spend a night under the stars on an undisclosed New York City rooftop and get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. 'I think New York City—and Michael Bloomberg's going to kill me—is a playground,' Stevenson told The Village Voice. 'I look at space utilization in New York City and see how we're all trapped indoors. There's plenty of outdoor space, but it's just not public. And then the question becomes, "what is public and what is private?"' Under the stars: Bivouac New York, a temporary rooftop encampment, lets guests camp in the city 'wilderness' Artist: The project is organized by Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Stevenson . Communal: Campers are given coffee and access to a toilet at the temporary campsite . Dining: Guests are asked to bring a protein, starch or vegetable to share in a communal dinner . As part of Stevenson's exploration of this relationship, campers sign up for a spot in one of seven bivouacs, or temporary shelters, for one night in July and August. Guests won't know where they're camping until the day before, when they'll get an email and text notification. Stevenson tells the Voice guests must put down a refundable $200 deposit to ensure everyone who signs up, shows up. While guests can sign up with people they know, Stevenson said meeting strangers is one of the major parts of the project. 'I often don't know anybody,' Stevenson said. 'That's the wonderful part of making participatory art—I don't know what will happen.' Tents: Participants have to bring their own sleeping materials, but tents have a 1-inch wool felt floor . Exploration: Artist Thomas Stevenson is using the project to explore public and private space in the city . Disconnect: Bivouac campers like Anne-Cecile Genne don't have access to the Internet or electricity . The camp's amenities include a family-sized canteen with a picnic table for communal dining. 'Guests are encouraged to live their normal daily lives. They will leave the site each morning, take the subway and conduct their working hours as usual,' the project's website explains. 'Their domestic hours will be spent on the roof, in the great city outdoors, roughing it.' The canvas tents have enough room for two or three campers and have a 1-inch wool felt floor. Campers have to bring sleeping materials, including pillows and blankets, and one item—either a protein, starch or vegetable—for the communal dinner. Campers can use a small library in the canteen, but there is no electricity, Internet or shower. Rooftop: Participants don't know where they'll be camping until the day before . Shelter: The project has seven bivouacs, or temporary shelters, available for participants . Views: The undisclosed rooftops are usually in Bushwick or Williamsburg to get the best views of Manhattan . 'It is all about the experience of disconnecting and meeting,' the Bivouac NYC website reads. Like the traditional campsites, the website notes 'this wilderness has an assortment of opinionated neighbors (new yorkers). please be respectful and try to blend in with your surroundings'. The rooftops will likely be in Bushwick or Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so as to give participants a good view of Manhattan, but Stevenson tells the Voice he wants to do one Bivouac in Midtown. Stevenson said he's played an organizing role at 30 such events in the last 20 months. In August or September, the project will even come to London. The project will be held in New York City from July 12 to 15. For more information or to sign up, visit BivouacNYC.com. Setting up: Campers are given tool kits . Dusk: Guests are encouraged to meet new people during their urban camping trip . Cheap: Participants have to pay a $200 refundable deposit in order to sign up .
free temporary rooftop encampments as part of Under the stars: Bivouac New York, a temporary Communal: Campers are given coffee and access to a toilet at the temporary campsite . Dining: vegetable to share in a communal dinner . As part Exploration: Artist Thomas Stevenson is using the project to explore public and private space in Internet or electricity . The camp's amenities use a small library in the canteen, but there is until the day before . Shelter: The project has