KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has reportedly denied any role in the whitewashing of Russian artist Julia Volchkova’s mural called "Goldsmith".
Kuala Lumpur Advisory Board member Andre Lai instead suggested that it was perhaps the owner who made the decision to cover the eight-year-old artwork at Jalan Panggung.
“The mural was done in 2016 and was an arrangement between the owner and the artist at the time,” Lai was reported saying in The Star.
“Now, perhaps the owners have decided to cover it up as it has faded or they want to put something else up. [The removal] does not involve City Hall at all.”
Lai also reportedly pointed to guidelines regarding murals.
“The property owner must submit an application to DBKL’s Building Control Department to be vetted, including a visual of the proposed mural.
“A permit to display [the mural] is given with a validity period of two to three years,” he said.
Earlier this week, Volchkova expressed her disappointment over the move, and said that it hurt since the painting was beloved by locals and tourists.
The artist’s first street arts in Malaysia were the murals Indian Boatman and Indonesian Boy in Penang.
