New life for dead malls: artists transform abandoned shopping centres into creative hubs

As Australia's retail landscape shifts, artists are reimagining abandoned shopping centres as vibrant spaces for culture, creativity and community renewal.
An abaonded shopping mall in pale concrete.

Once symbols of consumer decline, Australia’s abandoned shopping centres – from Perth to Parramatta – are finding second lives as pop-up galleries, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces, driven by visionary artists and collectives.

Globally, obsolete malls are being reimagined as cultural venues. In Singapore, the Peace Centre temporarily hosted a vibrant mix of graffiti exhibitions, performances, thrift markets, workshops and musical events before demolition.

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David Burton is a writer from Meanjin, Brisbane. David also works as a playwright, director and author. He is the playwright of over 30 professionally produced plays. He holds a Doctorate in the Creative Industries.