Street art not vandalism, regulate rather than banish it

They were on walls, rolling doors, electric cabinets, bus stations, and even on the beams of overpasses. As an architect, I must admit there are occasionally impressive drawings among these “works,” full of artistic flair, which somewhat bring life to the city. However, the majority comprises defacement and smearing. Last year a train on metro line No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) near the Long Binh depot in Thu Duc City was found defaced, and not the first time. This vandalism caused significant trouble to the investor, especially as the line was about to be put into operation. Graffiti, a visual expression, has always been a controversial topic for its supporters and opponents. The word “graffiti” comes from the Italian “graffiato,” meaning “wall drawing” or “scratch,” which has been around since prehistoric times in the form of cave paintings, and were often carved with a sharp object and sometimes done with chalk or charcoal. During the Renaissance period in Europe, artists carved or painted their names on buildings or works of art. The type of graffiti commonly seen today developed from the 1960s and 1970s in New York, the U.S., and from there spread worldwide. Graffiti, along with emceeing...