Absurdism
The entire exhibit is designed with absurdism in mind. From costumes to decor to performances, the scene is a bizarre one. Audience members are supposed to feel unnerved at seeing these people living in a cage. That's the point. Fusco and Gomez-Pena are drawing attention to the absurdity of treating fellow human beings as novelties like so many explorers and colonists did when they ran across indigenous peoples throughout history. Despite their foreignness, these people should not be made into circus attractions or mocked for their culture just because it's different. In this way Fusco and Gomez-Pena center their art around absurdism in order to draw attention from patrons and to highlight the injustices done to native peoples in the past.
Exhibitionism
Aside from its sexual implications which are devoid in this instance, exhibitionism most appropriately explains the performance of Fusco and Gomez-Pena in the exhibit. They are performing ritual and ordinary behaviors from watching TV to interacting with native ritual objects in order to illicit interest from viewers. Each action is designed to achieve a given response from the audience, so Fusco and Gomez-Penz overact. Since words are unnecessary, they confine themselves to mute repetition. They don't respond to audience taunts or questions so as to maintain the integrity of their isolation and plausible deniability of understanding the language which audience members speak. Everything is staged.
Humiliation
The entire experience is incredibly humiliating for Fusco and Gomez-Pena. They are making a point to viewers by subjecting themselves to such inhuman living conditions, even if temporarily. To them, it is an honor to act in the cage. They are raising awareness of past injustices -- real people kept as animals in a zoo for amusement. To begin with, their costumes are hilarious. They are dressed in a combination of contemporary modern gear like Converse sneakers and stereotypical native images like luchador masks and grass skirts. These strikingly contrasting garments are designed to create an impactful image for audience members. Additionally, the actors are fed by staff members through the bars. They relieve themselves in bedpans which are changed occasionally. And they are only ever led form the cage on leashes during the exhibition period. These elements are all debasing but necessary for the poignant message of the exhibit.
