#113 - Taquen - risograph

#113 - Taquen - risograph

€50.00

Destination: Sahara Marathon, Algeria
Date: 22 February - 1 March, 2025

About Taquen
From his home town of Madrid, the work of artist Taquen has spread its wings all over the globe through murals and exhibitions. With an interest in movements, changes and the relationship between human beings and their environments his work consists of lines and warm natural colors. Often portraying people, flora and fauna in a poetic way, and always in correlation to works their own new environment.

You can find more work of Taquen on his website: www.taquen.es

Destination: Sahara Marathon, Algeria
The Sahara Marathon is a solidarity race that takes place in the neighborhood of Tindouf, Algeria. Through sport, the organisation of the Sahara Marathon wants to raise awareness to often under reported conflict that has been going on for over 40 years. Near Tindouf are the borders of both the Western Sahara and Mauritania, and this border zone is home to to 200.000 Sharawi refuguees.

Read more about the Sahara Marathon and it’s organisation on their website: www.saharamarathon.org

Details about the print
Dimensions: ± 30 × 42 cm
Medium: three color risograph print
Edition: edition of 40, signed and numbered by the artist

** All orders are shipped after July 15.

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A little word from Taquen…

Preparing for my trip to Algaria to run the Sahara Marathon was strange. I know what it feels like to run a marathon, I am familiar with the history of the Sahrawi people, and I had seen many images of the refugee camps where the Sahrawi people live in. But at the same time I had no idea what I was going to find, how I was going to feel and whether or not I would enjoy it. I had been to the desert before, but nothing like this.

I couldn't prepare for the marathon as I would have liked, a pain in my foot prevented me from training enough. Even though I had run a few road marathons and several mountain races in preparation, I wasn't sure what condition I would be in for the race. Mentally I was ready, I trained a lot for that part. Physically, I was far off from being a 100%. Luckily it went well, and even though it was one of the hardest marathon I have ever run, I still managed to place fifth overall. I’m very proud of that.

I was deeply impressed by the hospitality of the Sahrawi people that we stayed with. They welcomed us, took us in and treated us like family. Regardless of how they face everyday life amidst the injustice and the hostile place they live in. They always exuded a genuine joy for life. I was also very struck by the young people who have had the opportunity to go to Europe or somewhere else in the world to study and decide to return to the camps to help their families and friends, to fight for their cause. I was able to hold two workshops, with approximately 20 children participating in each. We drew birds and animals and I also asked each child to draw the place where they would like to be in the future and where they would feel free. I couldn’t help but notice a certain lack of expression and imagination, it is difficult for them, living where they live, where they were born. At the end of the day, these are boys and girls who do not speak my language, but through drawing we were able to express ourselves and it taught me a lot about their ideas and their hopes for the future.

The Sahrawi people living in the refugee camps call this place ‘The desert in the desert’, which is meant both geographically and metaphorically. I knew I wanted to reference that in my artwork, hence the Arabic text on the print. The hands are of two Sahrawi women I met on my trip, and both hands were beautifully decorated with henna. The hands represent the power of their role in society, in their families and in their struggle. During the Marathon, they were the ones who encouraged us the most and helped us at the refreshment posts. In the houses where we lived, they took care of us, their families, and so on. They are an example.