Pixel of the Bigger Picture
We were invited to the Western Sahara by Danielle Smith of Sandblast, who has been committed to the Sarahawi cause for over 27 years.
We developed and painted a mural in the Special Needs Centre run by the famous Castro in Smara Refugee Camp .
We had the great pleasure of meeting and working alongside Castro himself and the young Sarahawi artist Mohammed Suleiman.
The mural was developed with the people with special needs who use the institution in mind. We also considered its place within the camp society, and its physical parameters.
The resulting mural does three things: firstly, it makes people ask “What is it?”, triggering a sequence of thought. Secondly, it visually integrates the U-shaped building, and adapts to the existing blue paint, preserving its original look. Finally, it introduces the idea of a beginning and an end, although it is not clear which is which.
The viewer can make what they will of it. Saharawi passers-by have said it reminds them of everything from sweets to the struggle.
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