Singapore isn’t an edgy place and neither is its street art. Any public expression that seriously challenged authority would not last one day.
Street art began as a provocative violation of property rights. Cities fought it. Street artists were major outlaws once.
Singapore made a law against provocative violations of property rights over 50 years ago, known as the Vandalism Act of 1966. It stipulates mandatory fines, prison time, and corporal punishment; ie. caning, 3–8 strokes.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Art or Graffiti. It doesn’t matter if you’re Picasso. If you didn’t get written permission from the owner, it’s vandalism and you’re in deep shit.
I traveled to Singapore developing educational programs a half dozen times in the early 2000s. I rode the MTR all over the tiny country, got out and walked around frequently. There wasn’t any street art then.
Instead, there were constant government campaigns aimed at shaping behavior at scale. When I was there, the “Have Fun” campaign was starting up. Officialdom had decided that people needed to let down their hair a little more, just a little though.