It’s not often we venture to the shopping malls here in Bodrum but the draw of a piping hot Starbucks from their branch at the Avenue Mall Shopping Centre was the only draw until I spotted this street art.
This two-level shopping mall opened in May 2013, and is a combination of small shops, a large Migros supermarket, and the new arrival of a modest sized IKEA ordering centre, which moved from a smaller location nearby. There was high hopes for this shopping centre when it first opened with grand plans to stand toe-to-toe commercially with Midtown, but it never seemed to live up to expectations. It’s one saving grace is a Starbucks! Now that IKEA has moved into the Avenue, maybe this will attract more businesses to locate here.
On my last visit there I spotted this street art of a couple of small children on a bicycle. The little boys face is so engaging, and you can see him gripping on for dear life as his older sister takes them on an adventure.
I’m a sucker for street art, I love how it grabs your attention. It’s free art for the masses meant to be enjoyed by anyone who wants to give it a glance, not something that’s there for commercial gain.
The way that the Avenue artist has incorporated part of the environment (the bike) has a feeling of Banksy, and if you haven’t seen the Paramount film “Exit Through the Gift Shop” – here’s a trailer that was uploaded on the YouTube Banksy channel.
Is street art vandalism? Click To TweetThis is the inside story of Street Art, and tells the story about what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide.
Banksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop
Bodrum Shopping Itinerary
No matter how much time you have to devote, there’s a variety of options to build your ideal Bodrum Itinerary. Do you want to fill an hour, or devote a whole day to shopping ’til you drop? Whether you want modern day or old world, cheap & cheerful or wallet-busting, there are plenty of shopping opportunities without having to venture too far afield. Over on my Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide I’ve put together a Shop ’til you Drop Itinerary to get you started on your retail therapy adventure.
Most of us visit Avenue for Pilates or Spinning or to get a European visa – always like popping into the shops afterwards, especially Paşabahçe for lovely glass and ceramics.
Didn’t know they had workout classes there Annie. That’s good to know.
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When I first saw the street art I thought the blog was going to be on Penang as this same art of the two children on a bicycle is there as well! I went to Bodrum in my younger years but didn’t leave the beach and bars so it was good to read what else was there!
I visited Bodrum, on a girlie holiday about 30 years ago so imagine much has changed since then! I definitely don’t remember a shopping centre just miles of winding back streets and vendors selling the normal tourist offerings. I was interested to see the mural on the wall as the original one is in George Town in Penang, Malaysia and is painted by the Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic.
Thanks for the name of the artist … he gets about a bit then!