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Desert Mirage Journey

An artistic residency in the Moroccan Sahara

Exploring 間 Ma, the space in between

December 10–21, 2026 Departing from Marrakech, Morocco · 8 days & 9 nights in the desert
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間 What wants to be born
but can't find its way.

There is something in you that wants to emerge. That has been waiting. Not because you haven't tried, but because the answer keeps coming from the same place: the mind, the will, the urge to do more, add more, find the right method, the right practice, the right form.

We live submerged. In information, injunctions, tools, philosophies, ideologies, art forms. Layer after layer of porridge. And what is meant to be born suffocates inside it.

The only thing that can allow the essence of what wants to emerge to actually take form is emptiness. The space in between things. Ma.

Desert Mirage Journey is the space you offer yourself.

The desert itself is a vast field of 間 Ma. Not silence, not emptiness, not timelessness. Within it exists the frequency beneath silence, the emergence of life from apparent nothingness, a presence not yet fully appeared, yet already here.

To let the mirage come alive. To give yourself room, real room, to be fully traversed by life. To free yourself, for a time, from the noise, the overflow, the constant pull of what you should be doing or becoming.

In this journey, the only thing that will truly matter is listening. Listening to what asks to be expressed. To what asks to be born. Without judgment.

Begin the journey

The Sahara

Eight days
in the desert.

Nomadic walking, bivouac under stars, dunes, silence. The desert strips what is unnecessary. Space opens. What was suffocating begins to breathe.

Desert camp under a solitary tree
Desert dunes
Nomadic guide
A cross-art residency.
A different form each time.

This is not a workshop. Not a stage. Not a course with a curriculum. It is a space of emergence, of artistic co-creation.

Artists from different disciplines come together, not to teach each other, but to co-create. Each edition takes a different form, guided by a different artistic vision.

And to create that space, we hold the posture of the midwife. A midwife does not decide what is born. She does not know in advance what will come. She simply stays present, trusts the process, and holds the space for it to happen.

"Butoh is the continual transformation of emptiness. To become an empty body does not mean wishing to think of nothing. It means changing the relationship between consciousness and the body that has been disciplined by it." Tatsumi Hijikata

The Process

A journey
into the unknown.

01
Arriving

Marrakech. The medina, the culture, the noise. A first breath before the silence ahead. The body starts to land.

02
Walking into emptiness

Eight days in the Sahara. Nomadic walking, bivouac under stars, dunes, silence. The desert strips what is unnecessary. Space opens.

03
What emerges

Embodied practices, co-creation, artistic exploration. Not a performance to produce. An encounter with what has been waiting.

Dates

December 10 – 21
12 Days · From Marrakech to the Sahara

Day 1, Dec 10
Arrival in Marrakech

Airport pickup, riad in the medina. First contact with Morocco.

Days 2 to 8, Dec 11 to 17
The Desert

Drive south through the Atlas mountains. Eight days in the Sahara: nomadic trekking, bivouac, fixed camp at the Dune Hurlante, embodied practices, co-creation, silence.

Days 9 and 10, Dec 18 and 19
Integration

Return to the fixed camp. Space for sharing, rest, and letting the experience settle.

Days 11 and 12, Dec 20 and 21
Return to Marrakech

Drive north. One last night in the medina. Departure on Dec 21.

Join us in the desert

Racines du Désert

Our hosts.
Born in the desert.

Racines du Désert was founded by Nomads from the Draa Valley, settled in M'Hamid after the desert where they were born dried up. Their culture draws from history, song, poetry, and the caravan trade. These are its roots.

The nomadic team

Faysal, Abdallah, Ali, Mohamed, Bachir and their team (guides, camel handlers, cooks, drivers) will be with you every step of the way. Born in the desert, they will share their way of life with you: the fire made only from dead wood, the water never wasted, the traces left behind always erased.

This is not a tourist service. It is an invitation to share something that belongs to them, offered with generosity, humor, and quiet pride.

"I grew up in an environment that unites the simplicity of nomads and their noble culture. Today, even settled, at the bottom of my heart I remain a Nomad."

Faysal
Desert guide, M'Hamid el Ghizlane

An encounter

A way of life,
shared.

Beyond the walking, the residency is a meeting with a living culture. Meals cooked over the fire and eaten together, tea poured slowly, songs and stories under the stars, the ancestral wisdom of those who read the dunes and the sky. The desert teaches simplicity, and the nomads carry it as an art. To travel with them is to remember how little is needed, and how much can be felt.

The Fixed Camp

Built by
nomad hands.

Adobe, earth, straw. A gathering place between treks, for meals, music, rest, and creation. At the foot of the Dune Hurlante.

Editions

Each edition
a different form.

The previous editions were built around a single master practitioner. This edition takes a different form: an open artistic residency, cross-disciplinary, where each participant brings their practice and co-creates the experience.

2026 — OPEN
Desert Mirage Journey
Cross Art Residency
Yi Chen & Anys
Dec 10–21
2024
Imre Thormann
Butoh & Noguchi Taiso
2023
Yumiko Yoshioka
Butoh Dancer & Facilitator
Watch the 2023 edition

They have walked this desert

Words from
past journeys

"No noise, no cars, no TV, no radio, no lights, no signs, no phone. Nothing, just being there. Magnificent. Travelling with Anys is not a trip. It's an adventure."

Pascal Wagner Desert journey, April 2024

"Each evening, I chose a dune to sleep under the stars with my bundle. A journey to the heart of the simple and the true. Anys knew how to accompany me through the inner desert while preserving my autonomy, with presence, gentleness, non-judgment."

Sandrine Barrande Initiatory desert journey, November 2023

"Before we left, Anys was precious in calming our concerns. Once we arrived, each of our needs, each sensitive state, found its place. I was struck by the range of approaches he was able to offer us, each one exactly right."

Céline Mercatello Desert retreat

"Anys took time with each of us. Time to care. Time to listen when we needed it. Time to let us be free, to laugh, to cry, to be silent. Sacred spaces of sharing. A harmony of rhythms. Very precious days."

Joséphina Bos 5 days in the Moroccan desert
Walk with us

Where You Sleep

Accommodation

Riad
Marrakech, Nights 1 & 12
Riad

Traditional Moroccan architecture in the heart of the medina. Breakfast included, airport transfers included.

Fixed Camp
Fixed Camp, Nights 2, 3, 10, 11
Fixed Bivouac

Adobe buildings built by nomad hands in the dunes. Rooms of 4, some with private bathroom. Shared spaces, communal meals.

Nomadic Bivouac
Sahara, Nights 4 to 9
Nomadic Bivouac

Sleep under a shared nomad tent or under the Milky Way. Universe as roof, spacious desert as ground, silence as lullaby.

2026, The Midwifes

Yi Chen
& Anys

Yi Chen
Yi Chen
Ankoku Butoh dancer,
choreographer & medium

Born in China, Yi Chen is an Ankoku Butoh dancer, choreographer, teacher and medium. Her work explores a dimensional space bridging the visible and invisible. Body is the movement; space is the dance. Her practice draws from Qigong, Kalaripayattu, Noguchi Taiso and Ankoku Butoh, guiding participants toward releasing tension, shedding conditioned identity, and opening to what wants to emerge.

Co-creator of the Desert Mirage Journey since its first edition. She has walked this desert before, and each time, differently.

"Butoh builds a bridge, in between the visible and invisible, an expanded life concept."

Anys
Anys
Practitioner &
initiatory guide

Painter, dancer, and guide of desert retreats and initiatory journeys. His work, on paper and through the body, draws from Butoh, Tao, calligraphy, and elemental movement. Each performance is conceived as a ritual: a psychomagical act that bridges the personal and the universal.

Franco-Moroccan, nomadic by nature. The Sahara is not a destination for him. It is a place of return.

Investment

Price

EARLY BIRD UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1

Save up to 15% on all room types. Limited spots.

Single Room
Standard
€1820
Early bird
€1600
Private bathroom
Twin Room
Standard
€1640
Early bird
€1400
Private bathroom
Dormitory
Standard
€1560
Early bird
€1350
3 to 4 people · Shared bathroom

Early bird until September 1. After that date, standard prices apply.
50% transfer in advance to confirm registration.
Scholarship available on request.

Apply for a spot

Details

Included & Excluded

Included
  • Artistic practice and co-creation throughout the residency
  • Guided nomadic desert trek with local guides
  • Airport pickup and drop off on Day 1 and Day 12
  • Round trip transportation Marrakech to desert and back
  • Three vegetarian meals per day and drinking water
  • 12 days accommodation: Marrakech, fixed camp and nomadic bivouac
  • Journey documented by a professional photographer
Excluded
  • Plane tickets
  • Extra private photo session in the desert
  • Travel insurance (required on arrival)
  • Individual care
  • Tips for guides and crew
  • Personal expenses

Vegetarian cuisine prepared by local chefs. Priority on local, seasonal ingredients. If you have specific dietary needs, contact us before booking.

Before you come

Questions

Do I need to be an experienced artist?

No. This residency welcomes artists from any discipline and any level. What matters is the willingness to create, to listen, and to co-create with others. We hold a short call with each applicant to make sure the journey is right for you.

What level of physical fitness is required?

The trek involves walking around 3 to 4 hours per day across sand, at a calm pace, with camels carrying the luggage. No specific training is needed, but you should be comfortable walking and spending full days outdoors. If you have any health concerns, tell us during the call.

What is the weather like in December?

December in the Sahara brings mild, sunny days (around 20°C) and cold nights that can drop near 0°C. Warm layers, a good sleeping bag, and a hat are essential. A full packing list is sent once you are registered.

What language is the residency in?

The residency is conducted entirely in English. Participants come from many countries.

How does payment work?

A 50% transfer confirms your registration, with the balance due before departure. Early bird prices apply until September 1. A scholarship is available on request. Payment details are shared after your call.

What is included in the price?

All accommodation from Marrakech to the desert, all meals during the journey, airport transfers, the full guided trek with the nomadic team, and the artistic residency itself. Flights to Marrakech and travel insurance are not included.

Registration

Are You Ready?

The desert does not ask if you are prepared. It only asks if you are willing. If something in you is already moving, say yes.

Say yes

After your application, we hold a short call together before confirming your place.
This is a shared journey, and we want to meet each person who joins.

Apply