Singaporeans say they want creativity. But do they mean it?
Innovation requires room for experimentation. Artistic creativity deserves the same tolerance for trial and error.
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Power-washing artist Marcus Pang was creating his artwork on a pavement outside Mountbatten MRT station on May 31. The artwork was later removed by SMRT staff.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM GAZING.PW/INSTAGRAM
Karen Tee
In Singapore, the term “struggling artist” is more than a cliche. Unfortunately, it is often a reality.
This is not just because making a living from the arts is difficult, although it certainly is. Artists and creatives contend with irregular incomes, uncertain career paths and persistent questions about whether what they do is practical, useful or necessary. But they also face another challenge: being treated by some as a problem to be managed rather than a source of creativity to be nurtured.
