An abandoned shopping mall in Singapore has become a secret haven for graffiti artists, despite street art being banned.
The Peace Center may have lost some of its luster in recent years, but young creators are doing their best to bring it back to life with colorful murals and art workshops.
Despite the fact that street art of any kind requires permission from the authorities in Singapore, the Peace Center has provided a valuable space for self-expression.
But the nearly half-century-old building will face the wrecking ball later this year.
Back in August, PlayPan, an initiative co-founded by entrepreneur Gary Hong, persuaded the developer to postpone the mall’s demolition.
Hong told AFP they were told they could use the space for a “social experiment to bring the (community) together.”
They were given space to hold performances and workshops over several months, and artists, students, charities and small businesses could set up shop for free or at a steep discount.
An eclectic mix of pop-up stores, art tours, and musical performances have transformed the once sleepy shopping mall into an unexpected art haven.
However, at the end of January, the mall will close completely and the art project will end.
Peace Center was once a popular shopping mall, but it has lost some of its luster to the proliferation of flashy shopping centers in recent years.
For the past 20 years, the city was primarily known for its printing factories and seedy karaoke lounges.
Since being converted into an art space, young people have taken part in graffiti workshops, painted shuttered storefronts with spray cans, and customers have browsed through vintage clothing stalls and exhibits.
“This is not something you would do on a normal weekend, much less in an indoor area of a shopping mall,” said Darryl Poe, a 29-year-old sales trader who attended the spray painting workshop.
Graffiti was splattered on bathroom walls and mirrors, and Rage Against the Machine songs were blaring from one of the pop-up stores.
Craft cocktails were served on the first floor, and death metal CDs and trinkets were sold nearby.
Spaces like this are rare in Singapore, one of Asia’s leading financial hubs.
“I think we’re starting to know where to look. The government can control things, but people are still trying to do their own thing,” he says, selling typewritten poems. Ning Fei, 34, said:
Flyers advertising activities ranging from ukulele classes to pebble painting were posted on the exterior walls, and a futuristic mural greeted visitors at the front 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 usually see in shopping malls in Singapore,” he told AFP, describing the atmosphere as “very un-Singaporean, very organic. ” was expressed.
“I’m going to miss this community so much. I’m glad to be a part of this swan song.”
Elsewhere, malls once bustling with shoppers now look like scenes from the zombie apocalypse, sparking widespread outrage.
Horrifying images show the dire conditions of an Australian market square with broken glass, graffiti and rubbish strewn everywhere.
And luxury properties in southern Malaysia built by the Chinese have been left to rot, making it the most controversial development in the country’s history.
Dubbed the “Ghost City”, this $100 billion estate is being built on reclaimed land far from the nearest major city of Johor Bahru.