Figurant, in the most sophisticated city in the world
Singapore surprised us with the beauty of street art, which we did not search for, but found while looking for attractions that no visitor misses. We stopped, admired and tried to find out the stories behind the stories. Today, I will tell you one of them.
Fascinated since childhood by the Cantonese opera, from the time he accompanied his aunt to shows in the Chinese neighbourhood, the street artist YipYC has been trying for 3 years to convince both the homeowners and the authorities to let him write a story. without words. In the pictures. Nobody believed in the idea but was he did not give up. In April 2019, his dream became a reality. He depicted in strong colours the memories carefully kept in a corner of the soul. In 10 days, one of the largest murals covered the walls of a forgotten building in the Chinese neighbourhood, in a city of skyscrapers.
Impressive costumes, made in the finest details, backgrounds, and props belonging to a period that he knew very well and loved, takes you to a world in the middle of which you sneak in, knowing that you do not need an entrance ticket. You become when nostalgic, when exuberant, when silent, when chatty. Or not. More silent, because you let the actors talk. Sometimes you see them coming out of the scene, you would like to go up, but give up at the last moment, because you realize that you are not dressed. A blend of fresh, soft colours and pattern colours illustrates a bright world: actors, spectators, beginners. A wooden chest nestled under the floor is props for another show that runs concurrently. When the show is over, do not resist the temptation to buy ice cream from the farm next door. You will be surprised to find that the accepted currency is the smile. You move on. Different stalls, same currency.
The long tradition of Cantonese opera is kept alive in Singapore with groups such as Chinese Theater Circle Limited (CTC). The CTC founder says he works against the current, because not many Singaporeans speak Cantonese, giving the young generation the opportunity to perform and continue this tradition. Losing the dialect, he believes, should not affect the art form. An annual festival started in 1992, allows the staging of theater pieces that address current issues such as zero tolerance for corruption or the role of women in politics.
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