Cubao X: Artist Community and Social Experiment

You have to feel a bit sorry for artist communities. They come into a run-down area for the low rent, bring some much needed culture with them and revive the entire location with galleries, quirky shops and organic cafes. A thriving economy is created as residents and mainstream businesses are drawn in. Real estate values pick up. Then naturally, big business co-ops the artists’ ideas, the area becomes too expensive for the artists and they’re forced out to another patch of forsaken real estate to create value for society all over again.

In Manila, the current artist social experiment is known as Cubao X. Artists are gradually taking over a fading shoe retail district and are adding some much needed diversity. Some of the culture for sale include Third World Art toys by indie comic shop Sputnik and modified vintage collectibles by Vintage Pop, which may or may not be for sale depending on the shop owner’s sentimental mood that day. Most of the establishments don’t even open until 4pm, if at all. This is because most of the places are owner-run and most of the owners have day jobs to support their artistic alter egos. Vintage Pop now only opens by appointment. The owner simply leaves his cell phone number on a sign in the shop window.

As for big business, the city’s major malls have recently begun welcoming artists into their pricier properties. The artists are offered lower rental rates in exchange for adding character, culture and status to the commercial retail boxes. Looks like the mall operators aren’t waiting for their property values to drop before calling in the artists.

[via PinoyCentric]