Giant hands mural by Taquen, Valence, France
Giant hands
Taquen · Walls & Love 2026 · 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux
Photo as published in New Street Art Vol. 77; photographer not yet identified
Two giant hands reach across the end wall of an apartment block in Valence, fingers curling between its small windows. The Spanish artist Taquen painted the mural in early September 2026, one of four permanent walls at Walls & Love 2026.
4 things to know
- Signed at the topThe artist’s name, TAQUEN, is painted small in the top left corner of the wall, above the highest balcony. Lucky Sophie
- No. 17 on the route mapThe festival’s route map numbers the wall 17 and lists it under “Copropriété”: a co-owned residential building. Route map
- Painted in publicThe organizer scheduled Taquen for 3–9 September 2026 and invited the public to the foot of each wall while it was being painted. Sorry Graffiti
- Not picked at randomAccording to the festival’s artistic director, Vincent Lansade, artists and sites are chosen so that each work creates a real dialogue with its surroundings. Cooa.fr
Check-in guide
- 📍
- 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux, 26000 Valence, France: no. 17 on the festival’s route map.
- 👀
- It’s an outside wall, so you see it from the street. The building itself is private.
- 🗺️
- Paper copies of the route map are at Valence’s Tourist Office and City Hall, according to the organizer’s route page.
- 🎨
- The other permanent walls of 2026: Rémi Tournier at 151 rue Faventines, Sobekcis at 1 rue Juiverie and Sema Lao on rue Victor Jacquet (Lucky Sophie).
Sightings
- 202611 Aug
Announced
- 202616 Aug
On the programme
- 202614 Sep
Photo published
- 2026Sep
Route map no. 17
Every stamp links to the dated source.
On the record
Walls & Love, le street-art reprend possession des murs de la ville de Valence en 2026
“Du 4 au 9 septembre, l’artiste espagnol TAQUEN investira les 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux.”
“From 4 to 9 September, the Spanish artist TAQUEN will take over 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux.” A preview; the organizer’s programme says 3–9 September.
Programme Festival Walls&Love 2026
“TAQUEN (Esp) / 03/09 – 09/09 / 11-12, rue Barthélémy Roux”
“TAQUEN (Spain) / 3–9 September / 11-12 rue Barthélémy Roux.” The organizer’s leaflet and route map give the address as 11/13.
Street art Valence : nouvelles fresques 2026
“Pour les fresques permanentes : Rémi Tournier / Taquen / Sobekcis / Sema Lao.”
“For the permanent murals: Rémi Tournier / Taquen / Sobekcis / Sema Lao.” Her photo of the finished wall is captioned “Work by Taquen. Address: 11-13 rue B. Roux.”
The facts
- Artist
- Taquen, Spanish; the festival’s leaflet gives Madrid Checked
- Title
- “Valentía” (as given in WAU’s post; not found in the festival’s materials) Unconfirmed
- Painted
- September 2026. The organizer’s programme says 3–9 September; a preview on Cooa.fr said 4–9 September Conflicting
- Address
- 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux, 26000 Valence, France Checked
- Wall
- End wall of a co-owned apartment block Checked
- Made for
- Walls & Love 2026, the festival’s fourth edition (22 August–13 September), run by the Sorry Graffiti collective with the support of the City of Valence and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region Checked
- Medium
- Not published Unconfirmed
- Size
- Not published Unconfirmed
- Status
- Standing. A photo of the finished wall was published on 14 September 2026, and the organizer’s September 2026 route map lists it. Checked
Help us finish this file
- A title. WAU’s post calls it “Valentía”, but the festival’s programme, leaflet and route map, Cooa.fr and Lucky Sophie give none. A post by the artist would settle it.
- The exact painting days: 3–9 September (organizer) or 4–9 September (Cooa.fr).
- Who took the photo at the top of this page, and where it first appeared.
- The size of the wall and the paint used.
- Did local papers report on the finished wall? We found only a preview.
Know one of these, or have a dated photo? Leave a comment below.
Related
- On World Art Utopia: New Street Art! (20 Photos) — Vol. 77 (29 September 2026).
- Earlier walls by Taquen: 42 passage des Becquerelles, Amiens, for the Ic.on.ic festival (Lucky Sophie, July 2025), and Carrer Vigo 4, Barcelona (Lucky Sophie, July 2025).
All sources (9)
Festival organizer
- Sorry Graffiti: “Programme Festival Walls&Love 2026”, 16 August 2026, updated 2 September 2026. Taquen’s slot, 3–9 September; the text gives the address as 11-12. In French.
- Sorry Graffiti: programme leaflet (image), August 2026. Taquen, Espagne / Madrid, 3–9 September, 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux. In French.
- Sorry Graffiti: “Plan Walls&Love 2026 V2” (route map, PDF), September 2026. No. 17: Taquen (Esp), 11/13 rue B. Roux, Copropriété. In French.
- Sorry Graffiti: “Parcours Fresques Walls&Love”, 15 August 2026, updated 21 September 2026. The downloadable route map; paper copies at the Tourist Office and City Hall. In French.
Local press
- Cooa.fr: “Walls & Love, le street-art reprend possession des murs de la ville de Valence en 2026”, 11 August 2026. Preview: Taquen at 11/13 rue Barthélémy Roux, 4–9 September; Vincent Lansade on choosing the walls. In French.
Blog
- Lucky Sophie: “Street art Valence : nouvelles fresques 2026”, 14 September 2026. Photo of the finished wall; the four permanent murals. In French.
- Lucky Sophie: “Balade street art à Amiens : festival Ic.on.ic et Invader”, 16 July 2025. Taquen’s wall in Amiens. In French.
- Lucky Sophie: “Où voir du street art à Barcelone ?”, 26 July 2025. Taquen at Carrer Vigo 4. In French.
The photo
- World Art Utopia: “New Street Art! (20 Photos) — Vol. 77”, 29 September 2026. The photo at the top of this page; photographer not identified. In English.
Artwork File · Last checked 29 September 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files