A hint of pink mist drifts through the street where the expedition vehicle is parked – it could almost seem mystical, though a soft hiss brings along a less fabulous smell of paint. Out of the pink mist emerges by far the largest of the many flamingos in the lagoon of Dakhla, Morocco.
We talk to Julian Vogel and Sina Gerke about their travel vehicle TEMBO, a Steyr 12M18 all-wheel-drive truck, and graffiti artwork as a message for peace.
4×4 Truck TEMBO – Childhood Dream and Ambassador for Peace
If you ask Julian and Sina why their travel vehicle had to be a 4×4 truck and whether a van, for example, would not have done, their eyes light up and they start to gush. Julian then tells of earlier times, when they traveled in a VW bus – of the cramped space, not least for their four-legged companion Wilma, who is not exactly handbag-sized.
Travel conditions were also made harder by the two’s artistic work. For their pieces, they transport the material in their own vehicle. Paint buckets, spray cans and lots of accessories, right up to bulky ladders, have to be stowed in such a way that there is still somehow room for the two of them. The nightly stench of paint from used spray cans did not exactly improve the situation either.
One day in Corsica, the eureka moment rolled past the two of them with lots of displacement and a deep burble, while they were cowering in the bus in soaked clothes in constant rain. “Ahhh … so that’s how it’s done!“, thought Julian, whose urge to tinker could not be stopped from then on.
Like many boys, he had already been fascinated by big vehicles in his childhood, and building LEGO trucks was a passion. How fiercely the wish for a full-size truck to travel in had now been ignited did not really go unnoticed by the people around him.
“I think I really got on the nerves of a lot of people around me with it.”
Initial research led him to the websites of various premium expedition vehicle manufacturers, whose price lists seemed to push the dream far into the distance. But somehow the thought would not let go of him. After a bit more research, the decision was made: the dream was to be realized through a DIY conversion “on a budget”.
Laying the Foundation
For his 38th birthday, Julian finally gave himself a present: a Steyr 12M18 retired from the military, olive green and with a flatbed and tarpaulin for loading. Even without any conversion, such a vehicle turned out to be surprisingly versatile. From transporting garden waste to visiting a yoga festival … the 4×4 truck proved itself in use.
The next birthdays drove the conversion forward step by step. Julian finally celebrated his 41st with the finished TEMBO in Zagora, Morocco. Julian and Sina stress that they specifically have no particular off-road ambitions. Of course, the side effect of being able to reach a place over tracks with difficult terrain with the truck is not unwelcome – for example, when we talk to them for this article, the two are standing all alone on a cliff, along a barely used route with a downright epic view of the Atlantic. The real purpose of the truck, however, is first and foremost to realize ideals, rather than to reach particularly remote spots on the map.
“Everyone has individual skills
that can be used to make a positive difference.”
A Sign for Peace
Iraq 2007: the Iraq war and the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein are over, yet the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and its proclamation of an “Islamic State” do not let the country rest. It is the year Julian travels through Iraq and decides on the spot that he wants to set a sign for peace. His art is to serve as his mouthpiece and send a message that is universally understandable and free of language barriers.
At no less significant a place than the walls of an old Hussein palace, the first “World Peace Wall” was created – a street art piece that was received positively by critics and the local population alike.
Since then, 24 World Peace Walls have been created around the world, some of them realized with young people from the local population and / or other local artists. In 2008, for example, he painted the wall of a Ugandan town hall with a message of peace, together with former child soldiers.
For Julian and Sina, this form of universal communication is an ideal way to create awareness of the messages of the paintings. In a mission statement, Julian explains it roughly like this:
Whether frescoes in cathedrals, propaganda or advertising campaigns – what we see steers our thinking in a certain direction, and has done so since the dawn of time. Our thinking becomes words and our words become deeds. What we think is our reality; it manifests itself around us.
A Deeper Understanding of the Local People
“When we design a wall for the project, it is not for us. It is for the people there.” says Julian, explaining how important it is to develop a feel for the people so that they can identify with the motif afterwards. The flexibility in place and time that the vehicle gives them allows them to look closely at the surroundings, get to know the residents personally, find out what they are proud of or what problems they struggle with, and research more deeply.
“Every World Peace Wall takes up cultural elements and motifs of a country that harmonize with its history, and at the same time reflects current topics or problems.”
Self-Sufficiency Rethought
During our video call we once again look into shining eyes as the two report not only on their project, but also on the advantages the truck brings to traveling to its stations. The previously strictly limited time frame due to booked accommodation and flights always strongly dictated the course of a project. From obtaining permits to finding possible cooperation partners or helpers on site – all of that had to be organized in advance through purely written contact, because the time needed on site was hard to calculate and generally too short. With the travel vehicle, things can now emerge and develop calmly along the way. Instead of by email, conversations are now held directly in local authorities or over a shared dinner.
We admire the two for the deep relationship and understanding they develop for the places they travel to. “Simply consuming travel destinations is not our thing“, the two say. Why should I rush from one country highlight to the next just to say I have been there? Traveling should also be restful and relaxing, but most people do not take any time for that. We also want to use our personal skills to leave something meaningful behind at the place“.
The large vehicle format has also improved material transport. Where Sina and Julian used to have to fall back on paints of often inferior quality on site, they now use the truck’s external storage boxes to carry high-quality material and can store empty containers there until they reach a suitable disposal point – without having to sleep with the stench of paint in the tiniest of spaces.
As a third big advantage, Sina and Julian name the self-sufficiency of urban camping, right next to the wall they are working on. After a strenuous day on a working platform Moroccan style (unsecured, on a sparsely fixed board at the height of the 4th floor), “you are happy to come home, cook something, take a hot shower and simply get back to work in the morning. You can concentrate better on the project when you do not also have to laboriously organize the life around it.” The two describe how the truck eases the situation considerably, as commuting is eliminated, a laptop workstation is available on site, and so on.
While telling us about their current trip, Sina and Julian express deep gratitude for the privilege of now being able to travel with so much time for the first time. They have organized their lives around their professional obligations in such a way that a stay in Morocco of no less than half a year is coming to an end right now.
Where Does TEMBO Go from Here
After 6 months in the truck and two finished World Peace Walls in Morocco, Sina and Julian are making new travel plans. Since 2018, their art project has become a global puzzle in which the motif of one city joins onto that of another. The “Infinite World Peace Walls” will keep developing and growing, that much is certain. Whether Sina and Julian will devote themselves entirely to traveling in connection with the project, and to what extent they want to break off the tents they have laboriously set up behind them – that is not easy to answer. But the two will put this puzzle together as well.
Changing the World?
Listening to the two explain, we start to think about our own skills that could be used for good, and that you will certainly not change the world directly with them. But if we set a sign through our own attitude, influence other people’s thoughts positively, and those positive thoughts in turn lead to positive actions, that most certainly makes the world a better place.
Follow Julian and Sina
Follow Julian and Sina on their travels at TEMBO_TRACES on Instagram, and see Julian’s works with the World Peace Walls project.
The film ‘IMAGINE- Peace by Paint‘ is planned for release in 2022, a documentary about the project over the last 14 years that you should not miss!
About TEMBO:
TEMBO is equipped with an electrical system from the tigerexped power pro modular system. Our technicians will gladly advise you, determine your personal needs and put together a system that suits your requirements and budget.
Learn more about the power pro modular system or request your personal, no-obligation phone consultation right away
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