GEORGE TOWN, Feb 2 — A decade ago, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic held his first-ever solo exhibition titled “Art is Rubbish” at Hin Bus Depot which was then a newly repurposed arts and cultural space in the city.
Today, Hin Bus Depot is still a popular space for art exhibitions and bustling with arts and crafts activities every weekend.
The art space celebrated its 10th anniversary with Zacherevic’s “Art Is Still Rubbish, A Decade of Hin” exhibition that opened on January 26.
It is not only a sequel to Zacharevic’s first solo, but also a celebration of how far both Hin Bus Depot and the artist have come since 2014.
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Ernest Zacharevic putting the final touches to his installation for “Art is still Rubbish, a decade of Hin”. — Picture courtesy of Hin Bus Depot
“This is also a celebration of the 10 years of collaboration with Hin Bus Depot,” Zacharevic said in an interview with Malay Mail.
He said the exhibition is also a continuation of his artistic journey.
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The exhibition features Zacharevic’s latest works connected to his first solo “Art is Rubbish” and also old photographs of the evolution of Hin Bus Depot.
Visitors look at Ernest Zacharevic’s installation for “Art is still Rubbish, a decade of Hin”. — Picture courtesy of Antoine Loncle
The curator and gallery manager Ivan Gabriel said Zacharevic’s exhibition is an homage to his first solo and it features large-scale installation works including one that stretches 30 feet long.
“We want to showcase Hin Bus Depot’s evolution through the years including the events, exhibitions and people who made this space the success it is today,” he said.
A visitor looks at the exhibition of the history of Hin Bus Depot. . — Picture courtesy of Antoine Loncle.
The man behind the space, Tan Shih Thoe, is glad that Hin Bus Depot has evolved into a space that caters to various facets of the art community in Penang and beyond.
“We are glad that this space has become an important place for exhibitions and events,” he said.
He said the weekend arts and crafts market is also thriving with many vendors applying to join.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted many in the arts and crafts community, including businesses within the space but the rebound since then has been good.
Tan, who is often seen roaming the grounds in Hin Bus Depot and chatting with vendors and visitors, hopes to keep the space open and running for as long as possible.
“As long as there’s a need for this space, we will keep it going,” he said.
An exhibition of the history of Hin Bus Depot. — Picture courtesy of Antoine Loncle
Hin Bus Depot has continued to expand its premises since it opened its doors a decade ago.
In 2022, it expanded into a former scrap metal dealer’s space behind its garden. Coex is managed by the ALM Architect firm and Tan said it added another component to the art community of Hin Bus Depot.
Aside from featuring small shops, a cafe, a burger place and a library of mostly Chinese books, numerous activities have been held at Coex since it opened.
Tan said the success of Hin Bus Depot all these years are also attributed to the strong art community in Penang.
Hin Bus Depot was built in 1947 as a depot for the ‘blue buses’ line before it was converted into an arts and creative space.
“Art Is Still Rubbish, A Decade of Hin” is open from 12pm till 7pm daily till February 12.
“Art is still Rubbish, a decade of Hin”. — Picture courtesy of Hin Bus Depot
