Van Gogh in the Neighborhood: Creative Placemaking and Community Art in Singapore

Abstract

Creative placemaking is a process involving different sectors of society as they collaborate in cultural activities, deepening their relations with each other and the place in which they live and work. As a supposed panacea to the woes of poorly planned spaces and apathetic communities, it hopes to address social exclusion and generate feelings of belonging as the environment is culturally and collectively enhanced. Applying the dual concepts of creative placemaking and community art, this article explores the phenomenon of Void Deck Galleries in Singapore. As more spaces in public residential environments are filled with community-created art works, the relationships between the state, artists, and local communities demand critical examination. Empirical data derived from fieldwork in three void decks in Singapore reveal a proactive state, the coordinating role of an arts organization, and the involvement of an enthusiastic although largely passive local population. The full potential for creative placemaking in Singapore remains frustrated, however, and the discussion identifies reasons for this while also contemplating avenues toward its future accomplishment.

创意性的场所营造是一个涉及社会不同部门的过程。这些部门在文化活动中开展合作, 加深了部门之间、生活和工作场所之间的联系。作为不良规划空间和冷漠社区等问题的解决方案, 创意性场所营造有望解决社会排斥问题, 并在文化性地、合作性地提升环境的过程中产生归属感。本文运用创造性场所营造和社区艺术双重概念, 探讨了新加坡组屋底层画廊现象。随着社区艺术作品越来越多地充斥了公共住宅环境空间, 需要对国家、艺术家和社区关系进行严格的审视。根据新加坡三个组屋底层的实地考察得出的实证数据表明, 新加坡是积极的、艺术组织起到了协调作用、当地居民的参与是热情的但主要是被动的。然而, 新加坡创造性场所营造的潜力仍然令人担忧, 本文探究了其中的原因, 同时也思考了未来的成功之路。

La construcción creativa de lugar es un proceso que involucra diversos sectores de la sociedad, en la medida en que ellos colaboran en actividades culturales, profundizando sus relaciones entre sí y con el lugar en el cual viven y trabajan. Como una supuesta panacea contra los males de los espacios mal planificados y las comunidades apáticas, con el proceso se espera enfrentar la exclusión social y generar sentimientos de pertenencia al mejorar cultural y colectivamente el entorno geográfico. Aplicando la conceptualización dual de creación de lugar y arte comunitario, este artículo explora el fenómeno de las Galerías Void Deck de Singapur. A medida que se llenan más espacios en los entornos residenciales públicos con obras de arte creadas por la comunidad, las relaciones entre el estado, los artistas y las comunidades locales exigen un análisis crítico al respecto. Los datos empíricos generados en el trabajo de campo en tres cubiertas vacías de Singapur ponen de manifiesto la existencia de un estado proactivo, el papel coordinador de una organización de las artes y la participación de una población local entusiasta, aunque pasiva en gran medida. Sin embargo, el pleno potencial de construcción creativa de lugar en Singapur sigue frustrado, y la discusión identifica las razones de esa frustración, al tiempo que contempla posibles salidas para su futura realización.

Key Words:

• art
• community
• creativity
• placemaking
• Singapore

关键词:

• 艺术
• 社区
• 创意
• 场所营造
• 新加坡。

Palabras clave:

• arte
• comunidad
• construcción de lugar
• creatividad
• Singapur

Acknowledgments

I am most grateful to the two anonymous reviewers and Dr. Kendra Strauss for helpful feedback and encouraging suggestions for this article. Research assistance from Faizal Aziz and Clare Yong is also appreciated.

Notes

1 Sleepovers in this context refer to temporary residence at the void decks, including staying at or sleeping overnight on-site. The rule applies to everybody regardless of age, nationality, or circumstance.

2 Because this was a closed-door dialogue, details are kept brief. Nevertheless, the essence of the roundtable is captured here. The second time creative placemaking was brought up in a public forum was at the World Cities Summit Singapore (10–14 July 2016, organized by URA and the Centre for Liveable Cities). At the forum, the minister for culture, community, and youth spoke of arts participation as giving “our people a collective sense of place and identity” (cited in Teh 2016, A16).

3 To organize activities like funeral wakes and weddings at the void deck, one has to apply for a permit from the Town Council (https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by NUS HDRSS R-109-000198-101.

Notes on contributors

T. C. Chang

T. C. CHANG is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore, Singapore 257518. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include arts, culture, and heritage in Asian cities and critical tourism studies.