In this photo taken on January 19, 2024, people walk past paintings and graffiti at the Peace Center, an abandoned shopping mall turned unexpected art enclave in Singapore. In Singapore, where graffiti is banned, young creatives are taking over abandoned shopping malls and bringing the spaces back to life by spray-painting colorful murals and holding art workshops. AFP
SINGAPORE — In Singapore, where graffiti is banned, young creatives are taking over abandoned shopping malls, spray-painting colorful murals and holding art workshops to bring the spaces back to life.
The nearly half-century-old Peace Center is set to face the wrecking ball later this year, but fans say it has provided a rare space for self-expression.
In the Southeast Asian country, permission from the authorities is required to perform any type of street art.
Last August, PlayPan, an initiative co-founded by entrepreneur Gary Hong, persuaded the developer to postpone the mall’s demolition.
Hong told AFP that the response supporters of the initiative received was that the space could be used for “a social experiment to bring (communities) 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.
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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.
“Very organic”
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 I know where to look. The government can control things, but people still try to do their own thing,” he said, selling a typewritten poem. 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.
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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 electric. There were a lot of things you don’t normally see in Singapore malls,” he told AFP, describing the atmosphere as “very un-Singaporean, very organic”. expressed.
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“I will miss this community. I am happy to be a part of this swan song.”