Twenty kilometres outside Marrakech, a haven for street art artists has emerged in recent years. Jardin Rouge has attracted more than 40 artists from all around the world to develop their style for weeks or months. Everybody invited by a foundation and the anonymous owner of the large garden. In 2016, the 13 hectare large garden also opened to the public with a 2500-sqm art gallery called Art Space. Well-known French photographer Gerard Rancinan opened the new gallery with photos 9 by 15 metres large. Later four street art artists, Jonone, Tilt, Fenx and Cedric Crespel, had a much praised exhibition and recently Russian artist Yuri Averin showed his art. It’s an odd feeling to go by car from Marrakech and leave the bustling city behind. After about 15 km driving past nothing except a few odd houses, the driver turns right, being surrounded by a dry wasteland with the occasional goat passing by. But suddenly, something green and lush in the flat landscape. And even before we enter the huge green area, you see walls covered with street art. Inside the gates, famous German street art artist Hendrik Beikirch aka ECB has a Morrocan man on a large wal. A face created when ECB was invited guest at Jardin Rouge. “In that way, I want to transform people I met and talked to here from anonymous to iconic. And to talk about their professions probably disappearing soon”, says ECB. His giant portraits are shown in many places around the…
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