Blue Desert (Jean Verame)
Granite boulders painted blue in 1980–81 by the Belgian artist Jean Verame — land art for peace in the Sinai desert.
Land art in the Sinai
The Blue Desert lies in the high desert of southern Sinai, between the town of Saint Catherine and Nuweiba. In 1980 and 1981, the Belgian artist Jean Verame painted a large number of granite boulders and rock outcrops across several square kilometres of desert in bright blue, creating one of the most unusual works of land art in the world. Verame conceived the work as a monument to peace, after the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel signed in 1979 and the return of Sinai to Egypt; the project was carried out with the support of the Egyptian government and with the help of Bedouin and local workers.
The work today
Over four decades, sun, wind and rain have faded the paint, and some boulders have been repainted or added to since, but the blue still stands out vividly against the golden sand and the brown and pink granite of the surrounding mountains. The effect changes through the day, most striking in the soft light of early morning and late afternoon.
Visiting
The Blue Desert is reached by four-wheel-drive vehicle with a local Bedouin guide from Saint Catherine. It can easily be combined with a visit to the monastery or with treks in the surrounding mountains.
Exhibo editorial
Imagine a desert of honey-coloured sand and rose-grey granite, and then, scattered across it, boulders painted a fierce, unnatural blue — some the size of a car, some the size of a house, all of them looking as if the sky had leaked onto the ground. It is strange, beautiful and quietly moving, a work of art made to celebrate peace in a land that had seen too much war.
Go with a Bedouin driver in the late afternoon, when the light softens and the blue glows against the pink mountains. It's a short trip from Saint Catherine and an unforgettable detour for anyone interested in art.
How to find it
The Blue Desert lies a short drive from the town of Saint Catherine along the road towards Nuweiba. Arrange a 4x4 trip with a Bedouin guide in Saint Catherine; the painted boulders lie off the main road on desert tracks.