SINGAPORE: Street artists will have a place to hone their skills and produce transient artwork in the new year along the Rail Corridor.
Their canvas will be two walls beneath the Commonwealth Avenue viaduct structure.
This is made possible by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), National Arts Council (NAC) and Singapore Land Authority.
The interim art space will be available for a period of one year starting from next year.
It is in line with the spirit of "PubliCity", an initiative launched during the URA's Draft Master Plan 2013 to involve the community to design and programme open spaces into interesting public spaces.
RSCLS, an urban art collective and recipient of the National Arts Council Seed Grant, will be curating the space in 2014.
RSCLS will facilitate community participation through activities like street art jam to deepen public awareness about the art form.
URA's Senior Director for Physical Planning, Mr Tan See Nin said: "The Rail Corridor is currently a recreational space with many people strolling, jogging and cycling along the trail and enjoying the green landscapes along the way.
“We would like the Rail Corridor to be a place for shared experiences and community bonding as well. We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner NAC and the street art community to introduce this art space.”
He added this is a creative way to inject more vibrancy and community involvement into the Rail Corridor and provide a unique experience for users of this public space.
NAC's Director of Arts & Youth, Mr Kenneth Kwok, said: "Street artists and their work are an exciting part of Singapore's diverse and vibrant arts scene.
“We hope that by facilitating dedicated art spaces, like the one along the Rail Corridor, street artists can have the physical and artistic room to express themselves and practise their craft.
“This is critical to the development of the Singapore street art scene, which the Council will continue to support through grants, spaces and public engagement about the value of street art."
- CNA/fa
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