For someone who can’t get himself to draw a straight line, art never really meant much to me. I never believed art could express much except your bank balance if you have a Picasso hanging in your living room. After years of traveling and living in across hostels across Europe and South East Asia, I did start to see art as a form of expression, but I still could not fathom how art could have any radical impact as it’s described in the history books.

But these were my beliefs only up until I travelled to Penang, where I saw art in action. Simple street art has become the biggest tourist attraction of the capital city of Georgetown with people from all nationalities queuing up for a picture with the interactive street art. It’s amazing to see how something so trivial can have such a strong impact on the culture and economy of a place when used smartly. In the concrete jungles we live in, where we rarely notice the world around us, the Penang street are is a hit for the following reasons.

It enables to capture and interact with history

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5904_zpsi7udchmp.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5719_zpsd27c4yyt.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5797_zpsiguxop3m.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5802_zpsgawnv59h.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5823_zpsxrlq6kwi.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5881_zpsrrctb1bx.jpg

It gives a reason to smile

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5859_zps9ebghomc.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5899_zpskvhwr3le.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5731_zpsd9x4cwrg.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5817_zpsgzxsa13a.jpg

It tells a story

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5696_zpsgf9ug7pf.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5700_zpsztiedvkb.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5806_zpskrv80nrs.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5739_zpsky25oe5n.jpg

It’s just plain beautiful

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5738_zpscnzipi42.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5789_zpsnztxz2bx.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5902_zpsqit5wgcz.jpg

It’s the cutest way of marketing

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5777_zpse4dxixky.jpg

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc372/lokeshb10/IMG_5795_zps6atrugqb.jpg