Main image via Malay Mail

If you’ve ever been to Penang, you’ve probably walked past or taken pictures of the many street murals around Georgetown such as the “Little Children on A Bicycle” at Armenian Street and "Boy on Chair" at Cannon Street. 

London-trained Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic was first commissioned to bring life to the streets of Georgetown in 2012, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site hasn’t been the same ever since. These artworks have since risen in popularity and became tourist attractions in their own right, drawing in waves of tourists who eagerly wait their turn for a photo opportunity.

With the murals now worn and faded, the artist took to Instagram to lament the influx of tourists that has disrupted the peace of the heritage town and morphed it into a commercialized space that has lost its original essence.

The street has not been the same as it used to when I first moved there, [a] quiet heritage street with few local residents offering antiques or RM6 haircuts on a ground floor of their family home has been replace[d] with souvenir shops, restaurants, and all kind of insta friendly quickly consumable concept stores to satisfy ever increasing traffic of holiday goers looking for [an] 'authentic Penang experience'.

He goes on to share how he can’t hide his sense of joy when one of such shops was shut down within weeks of opening due to a lack of proper permit, because he fears that Georgetown might be losing its authentic culture and identity. Ultimately, he blames himself for creating an icon that drew so many to flock to these historic streets.

I've been contemplating of simply painting over it in hopes to put an end to that circus.

Many shared his sentiments in the comments while sharing their memories with the murals, citing it as a shame that the spirit of the art has been commodified by those businesses. 

So, what do you think? Should the artworks bear the blame?