Back Arts & Culture » Music & Art » [Photos] In a Thao Dien Concrete Shell, a Mystery Graffiti Mecca

You never know what you'll find amid the glittering facades of Saigon's new upscale residential developments.

A seemingly abandoned, half-complete concrete shell of a structure near the to-be-completed metro line and next to one of Thao Dien's many luxury high-rise complexes has been turned into an open-plan graffiti gallery.

Some of the examples on display are the usual tags that you see all over town, but others are incredibly detailed and phantasmagorical. Various monsters and creatures of animal forms that you can't quite put your finger on feature prominently, while the floors of the multi-level building are strewn with the detritus of graffiti, along with empty drink bottles and, inexplicably, a bottle of olive oil.

How many people were involved in all of this, and how long did it take? The answers are likely as unknowable as what is going in the image above.

Some clues can be found on Facebook thanks to tags from ZNC, TSK and NC Store, but perhaps it's best to think of these kaleidoscopic murals as a rebuke to the grey blandness of the neighboring towers on either side of the Hanoi Highway. Explore this District 2 mystery further through the photos below.

Related Articles

in Music & Arts

'The Humanimal' Exhibition Celebrates Artist Daos501's 15-Year Journey in Graffiti

The set of artworks titled "The Humanimal" by Daos501 — an established name in Vietnam's graffiti scene — brought the harmony between nature and humans to Interlink’s art event.

in Music & Arts

Biti's Hunter Launches National Pride-Themed Shoe Design Competition

The made-in-Vietnam shoes feature inspiring street-art style depictions of the nation's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

in Music & Arts

Graffiti Artist Nguyễn Tấn Lực Is Serious About Changing Public Opinion of Street Art

As an art form deeply rooted in the streets, graffiti embodies the liberation of creativity from strict societal framing. But like other street creations, it’s never free from public scrutiny due to i...

in Music & Arts

Nam Jam Festival Returns to Đà Nẵng With Week of Mural Arts

The Nam Jam Festival from March 4 to 10 invites more than 50 local and international street artists to create massive works of street art in Đà Nẵng. 

Paul Christiansen

in Travel

On the Hunt for Colorful Murals in Đà Lạt's Hilly Hẻms

Was color a casualty of COVID-19? Along with the freedom to gather, to attend live concerts and travel, did the pandemic rob us of opportunities to fully appreciate color?

in Music & Arts

Saigon to Host Major Street Art Festival Next Year

Saigon is banking on the festival's success to draw international visitors back to the city after the COVID-10 pandemic subsides next year.

Partner Content