Graffiti: SE Asia
Recently, your host travelled through a number of cities in South East Asia, documenting the impact of unprecedented economic growth and the impact of globalisation. During the days that I spent boozing up and shooting video, I also took the chance to document the local graffiti scene.
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) provided the best examples of graffiti, with lesser Vietnamese and Singaporean work on show. KOSIK (or KOS) was ruling it as spearhead of RTC Crew. BONK (or BONKERS) was up all over the city, with notable contribution from throwie stalwart DEMS.
Although the rumours of graffers having their hands chopped off in some SE Asian countries are untrue; on the contrary if you are caught writing in Singapore you face, literally, lashings with the cane before you serve a mandatory prison sentence. Not cool; especially so given Singapore is a global city, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with New York, Sydney and Hong Kong etc.
Enjoy this latest video that documents said graffiti in these parts of SE Asia, accompanied by some local music, fresh tunes, and breakdancing.
-TW
Posted on January 13, 2011, in Art, Film & Video, Music, Streetwear and tagged aerosol art, asia, bboy, bombing, breakbeats, burn, champa, communist, graff, graffiti, hiphop, mix tape, nha trang, po ngar cham, se asia, spray paint. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Great wee vid … ta!!
Singapore is very clean & ordered … and very repressive … it’s been nicknamed The Fine City, because you can be fined for spitting, chewing gum, not flushing a toilet, jaywalking etc, etc, or anything not ordered!!
I met lotsa cool punks and peace activists who face heavy sentences if caught
Srespect to them
Stu Who?
Yeah, Stu.
I got the impression of a global city with a bit more stringent (or less permissive) social policies.
However, a peer tells me that there is no semblance of the English-style governance and that it is quite hereditary, patriarchal, almost dictatorship-like. I will have to research their political structure a bit more.
A clean megacity, though. But at what cost? Sterility?