In this photograph taken on January 19, 2024, people walk past drawings and grafitti at the Peace Centre, an abandoned mall turned into an unexpected art enclave, in Singapore. In Singapore, where graffiti is banned, young creatives have taken over an abandoned mall, spray painting colorful murals and holding art workshops to bring the space back to life. AFP
SINGAPORE 鈥� In Singapore, where graffiti is banned, young creatives have taken over an abandoned mall, spray painting colorful murals and holding art workshops to bring the space back to life.
Around half a century old, Peace Center is scheduled to face the wrecking ball later this year, but fans say it has provided a rare space for self-expression.
Permission from authorities is required for any kind of street art in the Southeast Asian country.
In August last year, PlayPan, an initiative co-founded by entrepreneur Gary Hong, convinced developers to postpone the mall鈥檚 demolition.
The answer the initiative鈥檚 backers received was that they could go ahead and use the space for 鈥渁 social experiment to bring (the) community together鈥�, Hong told AFP.
They were given the space to host performances and workshops for several months, allowing artists, students, charities and small businesses to set up shop for free or at heavily discounted rates.
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The eclectic mix of pop-up stores, art tours and musical performances has transformed the once lacklustre mall into an unexpected art haven.
At the end of January, however, the mall will close definitively, bringing an end to the art project.
Peace Center was once a popular mall but lost its shine to glitzier shopping centers that mushroomed over recent years.
In the last two decades it was mostly known for its printing shops and seedy karaoke lounges.
Since its revamp into an art space, young people have attended graffiti workshops, coloring shuttered shopfronts with spray cans while punters browsed through second-hand clothing stalls and exhibits.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you do on a normal weekend, less so inside an indoor area, in a mall,鈥� said Darryl Poh, a 29-year-old sales trader who took part in a spray-painting workshop.
鈥榁ery organic鈥�
The bathroom walls and mirrors were splattered with graffiti, while a Rage Against the Machine song blared from one of the pop-up stores.
Craft cocktails were served on the ground floor and nearby, death metal CDs and trinkets were on sale.
Such spaces are uncommon in Singapore, a top financial hub in Asia.
鈥淚 think you just got to know where to look. The government can curate things, but people are still going to do their own thing,鈥� said Ning Fei, 34, who was selling typewritten poems.
The outer walls were plastered with flyers advertising activities from ukulele classes to pebble painting, while a futuristic mural welcomed visitors arriving at the main 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.
鈥淭he energy here was really exciting. There were a lot of things you don鈥檛 typically see in Singapore malls,鈥� he told AFP, describing the vibe as 鈥渧ery non-Singaporean, very organic鈥�.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to miss this community very much. I鈥檓 glad to have plugged in and participated in聽this聽swan聽song.鈥�