Inside Singapore's abandoned shopping mall, which has become a secret haven for graffiti artists despite the ban on street art
AN ABANDONED shopping center in Singapore has become a secret haven for graffiti artists despite a ban on street art.
The Peace Center may have lost its luster in recent years, but young creatives have done their best to bring it back to life with colorful murals and art workshops.
8
8
8
Despite the fact that permission is required from the authorities for any form of street art Singaporethe Peace Center has provided a rare space for self-expression.
But the building, which is about half a century old, will face the wrecking ball later this year.
In August, PlayPan, an initiative co-founded by entrepreneur Gary Hong, convinced developers to postpone the mall's demolition.
They were told they could use the space for “a social experiment to bring the community together,” Hong told AFP.
They were given the space for months to provide performances and workshops, allowing artists, students, charities and small businesses to open their stores for free or at greatly reduced rates.
The eclectic mix of pop-up stores, art tours and musical performances have transformed the once lackluster shopping center into an unexpected art paradise.
However, the shopping center will close permanently at the end of January, putting an end to the art project.
Peace Center was once a popular shopping center, but lost its luster due to more glitz shop centers that have mushroomed in recent years.
Over the past twenty years it has been known mainly for its printing houses and seedy karaoke lounges.
Since its conversion into an art space, young people have attended graffiti workshops, shuttered shopfronts colored with spray cans, while punters browsed second-hand clothing stalls and exhibitions.
“It's not something you do on a normal weekend, especially in an indoor space, in a shopping center,” said Darryl Poh, a 29-year-old salesperson who took part in a spray-painting workshop.
The bathroom walls and mirrors were covered in graffiti, while a Rage Against the Machine song blared from one of the pop-up shops.
Craft cocktails were served on the main floor and death metal CDs and trinkets were for sale nearby.
Such spaces are unusual in Singapore, a top financial center in Asia.
“I think you just know where to look. The government can manage things, but people are still going to do their own thing,” said Ning Fei, 34, who sold typewritten poems.
The exterior walls were plastered with flyers advertising activities from ukulele lessons to pebble painting, while a futuristic mural welcomed visitors arriving at the main entrance.
Gabriel, a 43-year-old photographer who asked to be identified only by his first name, set up a booth to take portraits of passersby for charity.
“The energy here was really exciting. There were a lot of things you don't normally see in malls in Singapore,” he told AFP, describing the atmosphere as “very non-Singaporean, very organic”.
“I will miss this community very much. I am happy that I joined and participated in this swan song.”
Elsewhere, a shopping center that once bustled with shoppers now looks like a scene from a zombie apocalypsewhich led to great outrage.
Frightening images show the deplorable state of the Grote Markt Australiawhere broken glass, graffiti and trash are everywhere.
And a luxury estate in the south Malaysia built by the Chinese has been left to rot – it will be the most controversial development in the country's history.
Dubbed the “ghost town”, the $100 billion estate is built on reclaimed land far away from the nearest major city in Johor Bahru.
8
8
8
8
8