Hosier Lane: Where vandalism and street art negotiate

When we talk about street art in Melbourne, we talk about the celebrated <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/victoria/melbourne/city-centre/attractions/hosier-lane/a/poi-sig/1370641/1341486" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Hosier Lane</a>. It is the one place where artists and ordinary people who rejoice in art — mainly graffiti — go to because not only it is free and accessible, but it also has high visibility as it is situated near Flinders Street station and very unlikely for street artists to be prosecuted. However, how is it free of cost? Whose space is this and what rights do the people have in it? <img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*wnykSCHa3_meRke_ODNLHw.jpeg" style="height:394px; width:700px" /> Tourists swarming the Hosier Lane | Photo credit: Visit Victoria <a href="https://www.racv.com.au/royalauto/news/community/melbourne-street-art-scene.html#:~:text=Street%20art%20is%20an%20iconic,ever%2Dchanging%20array%20of%20works." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Street art</a> has been the heart of Melbourne’s cultural identity for many years. It has become integral to Hosier Lane, which is now considered a tourist spot in the central business district, well-known for its art filled-laneway. The street art on Hosier Lane are passively allowed without permit and not removed; that is probably the sole reason why street artists everywhere in Melbourne are ecstatic. Yet, when a group of them carried canisters in the size of fire extinguishers painted the walls in 2018, the term “street art” is replaced by “vandalism.” Clearly, there is a blurred line between the definitions of “street art” and “vandalism”; both are often created on public properties and communicate social commentaries, with some argue that they should be protected, while others recommend a regulation. <a href="https://shanara.medium.com/hosier-lane-where-vandalism-and-street-art-negotiate-b06a0a82bc4a">Visit Now</a>