SINGAPORE - Street art will take on a whole new dimension over the weekend as Asia's first virtual reality (VR) graffiti battle kicks off with contestants from the region.
The competition, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday (Dec 1 and 2), is one of the highlight events of Asia's first-of-its-kind street culture convention Culture Cartel.
Co-organised with Kult Studio & Gallery, the battle will see eight graffiti artists face off against one another using Google's Tilt Brush, a VR painting programme.
Local graffiti artist Muhammad Taufiq Rosle, who goes by the moniker Boon Baked, was one of the artists invited to compete.
The 30-year-old, who has been involved in graffiti art for over six years, is using the Tilt Brush for the first time. He tested out the technology earlier this month.
He said: "Compared to traditional graffiti, where you can only paint on a 2D surface, with the VR technology, I can walk through my work, look at it from the side and actually create a 3D form for it."
Aside from a VR graffiti battle, Culture Cartel, held at the F1 Pit Building, will feature art, toys and fashion, with more than 100 artists, designers and brands in attendance.
American artist Joshua Vides will have an art installation with the event's brand partner Mercedes-Benz to showcase the beauty of the new Mercedes-Benz A-class.
An exclusive line of jackets between denim brand Levi's and four local artists will also be launched at the event. Other retail brands like Nike, Puma, Skechers and Vans will also be at the convention.
A documentary profiling the rise of street artist Shepard Fairey by Oscar-winning film-maker James Moll and executive producer James Franco will also be screened.
Culture Cartel's convention director Jeremy Tan hopes the event can bring the varied elements of street culture under one umbrella.
He said: "Although there are street culture-related events in Asia, most of them focus only on one or selected segments of this diverse and colourful industry. Hearing from the ground about how subculture fans and retailers wanted a unifying platform, we created Culture Cartel - an all-encompassing space for everyone who's into street culture."
BOOK IT/CULTURE CARTEL
When: Dec 1 and 2
Where: Singapore F1 Pit Building
Admission: Ticket prices begin from $20
Information: culturecartel.com
