Sahara Surreal trails the bandwidth of 21st century life in the Great Desert, unhinging stereotypes along the way. Andrew McConnell portrays the underexposed Saharawis, who turn plastic into gold with designer Florie Salnot. Photographer Philippe Dudouit is one of the few to visit the Tuareg rebels of Mali and Niger dwelling in zones off-limit to tourists due to unsettling political changes. Architect Magnus Larsson proposes a 6000 km-long barrier of organically shaped habitable structures by injecting Saharan soil with bacteria that petrify the sand. Aglaïa Konrad focuses on the programmed concrete-ization of the desert in Egypt’s struggling satellite cities. In his desert manufacturing experiments, Markus Kayser focuses the raw energy of the Saharan sun in laserbeams that cut wood and make glass from sand.
The Salt Mine Of Fachi, A Former Touristic Paradise. Now And Like 90% Of The Nigerien Country, This Area Is Forbidden To Foreigners Due To The Risks Of Kidnapping By Groups Affi-Liated To Al Qaeda In Islamic Maghreb. Northern Niger
Texaco’s Drilling Station Abandonned In The 60’s Because The Oil Was Too Deep Under The Ground. Northern Niger 2010
Tessalits Camel Festival Music Scene, The Sahelian Version Of The International Geneva Motor Show.
Sale Ag Moussa, 20 Years Old, Joined The Tuareg Rebels Of The Democratic Alliance For Change. Northern Mali 2008
Mohamed, Freelance Worker. Norther Niger 2010
Ahmada, A Touareg Nomad Is Working As A Camel Shepherd, Watching Days And Nights More Than 200 Heads. Northern Niger
A Boeing 727 Cargo Plane, Thought To Have Been Carrying A Large Amount Of Cocaine, Torched By Drug Traffickers After They Had Emptied It.
Clandestine Waiting For Days For Their Trucks To Pick Them Up And Continue Their Road To Lybia.