GEORGE TOWN: Visitors who like Penang’s old world charm will be pleasantly surprised by new additions to the heritage district here.
For example, an old chalk-white car parked along Lebuh Melayu now serves as home to a diorama that pays tribute to street art and installations.
Inside the parked car is a miniature art exhibition, complete with paintings, sculptures, wooden flooring, white exhibition walls and tiny visitors admiring artwork.
A woman in black with red high heels stands before a painting, while another figure examines a miniature replica of the car itself.
A little black cat sits near a miniature version of Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevic’s much-photographed “Little Children on a Bicycle” mural in Armenian Street.
Works by street artists Alex Face and Kenji Chai, including the latter’s turquoise dog graffiti known as Chaigo, adorn the gallery walls.
Even the driver’s area has become exhibition space, featuring works by Teebai.
Tiny benches, carefully arranged lighting and a miniature fire extinguisher complete the illusion of a contemporary art gallery.
Called Cultprint Drive-By, the installation is the brainchild of Zacharevic and sits outside the art gallery Cultprint at 35, Lebuh Melayu.
“The project reimagines how contemporary art can be brought directly into the public sphere,” the gallery said in a statement.
It said the gallery is free for all to enjoy round-the-clock.
Cultprint expressed hope that the installation could eventually move to different locations across George Town every few months.
“The initiative offers Penang an opportunity to expand its legacy of public art through a new format,” it said.
The installation invites passersby to appreciate art simply by peering through the car windows.
Zacharevic shot to fame in 2012 when he created a series of murals for the George Town Festival.
His works, including the aforementioned “Little Children on a Bicycle”, have since become iconic landmarks here.
Meanwhile, the Penang Island City Council has approved Cultprint’s application for the display to remain at the same parking lot until Dec 31.
