14 Musicians And Street Artists Unite For A Quirky Art Trail Along Bukit Merah

The art trail’s murals include Magic Lamp Post by Baked, Tong Kia by ANTZ, and Yung Nadim’s Game by Has.J (Credit: National Arts Council)

Art is a universal medium that should be taken in by everyone, and there’s no stage more accessible than the streets. Pushing this noble mission is Brilliant Corners: Bukit Merah Diaries, a quirky art trail being spearheaded by System Sovereign, the multidisciplinary creative studio run by Kiat and Cherry Chan from Syndicate. The trail is part of the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood initiative, which highlights heritage-inspired anecdotes from five Singaporean neighbourhoods which include Bukit Merah, Tampines, Jurong, Marine Parade and Serangoon. Brilliant Corners: Bukit Merah Diaries is just one of the series’ 20 arts programmes that officially run from 11 to 28 November, but it will remain on the streets after the schedule wraps up.

Three? Four? Five Stones! by Sadiq Mansor coming to life (Credit: National Arts Council)

Brilliant Corners first imprinted its repute back in 2017 when it debuted at the Aliwal Urban Arts Festival as an open-air event. Since then, it’s evolved into a visual arts platform that links public spaces with artistes, and its Bukit Merah edition is no exception. This art trail – which you can download here – reinterprets mythical folklore and childhood stories surrounding the forgotten sights and sounds of Bukit Merah. To portray this, Brilliant Corners set up seven pairings between street artist and musician, tasking them to come up with commissioned wall art and original tracks that blend as one.

You have Magic Lamp Post by Baked and deførmed, a mural echoing adolescent fantasies of a now-defunct playground, set against a sentimental folk song steeped in old-world charm and karaoke appeal. Three? Four? Five Stones! features Sadiq Mansor with an imaginary world orbiting the popular childhood game, while Fzpz piles on a skittery number with jazz accents and mellowed jungle grooves. On Yung Nadim’s Game, Has.J depicts a folklore legend dabbling in the kampung game of Goli (a game of marbles), with Zero The Memory Thief matching the mood with a mischievous canvas of lo-fi, hip-hop beats. And then you have Tong Kia, ANTZ’s tribute to classic Tong Tong machines (similar to gachapon), complemented with dubby terrains from Kiat and the spoken word textures of ArunDitha. Other duos include Kristal Melson and Kribo, Delphine Rama and OmarKENOBI, and Polkaros and Jean Reiki.

To further slip into the storied identity of Bukit Merah, you can also check out this online photo essay by veteran photographer, Dju-lian Chng, who captures the neighbourhood through his lens. Otherwise open your eyes and ears, and get your explorer’s cap on.

Find out more about Brilliant Corners: Bukit Merah Diaries at its official website, and download the art trail here.