In Singapore, where graffiti is banned, young creatives have taken over an abandoned shopping centre, spray painting colourful murals and holding art workshops to bring the space back to life.
At around half a century old, the Peace Centre shopping centre is scheduled for demolition later this year.
It has provided a rare space for self-expression as permission from authorities is required for any kind of street art in Singapore.
In August last year, developers were convinced to postpone the shopping centre’s demolition, and use the space as a social experiment to bring the community together.
The space was then transformed into a creative outlet – used 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.
The once lacklustre space became an unexpected art haven.
Since its transformation, young Singaporeans have attended graffiti workshops, colouring shuttered shopfronts with spray cans while punters browsed through second-hand clothing stalls and exhibits.
“It’s not something you do on a normal weekend, less so inside an indoor area, in a mall,” said Darryl Poh, a 29-year-old sales trader who took part in a spray-painting workshop.
At the end of January, however, the mall will close definitively, bringing an end to the art project.
