Tunisia’s art scene rises amid a challenging socio-political backdrop

A vibrantly coloured tapestry hanging in the recently opened Lamia Bousnina Gallery in the Tunisian capital of Tunis presents a rich depiction of ancient and contemporary voyages in the Mediterranean as odysseys of glory, pain and resilience. Created by French designer Louis Barthélemy in conjunction with Tunisian artisan Nejib Bel Hadj, the work, Hannon and the Mediterranean Mirage, presents a series of symbolic vignettes tracing the travels of ancient Carthaginian explorer Hannon in the Mediterranean during the 6th century BC, including a large elephant, stormy seas and the 2nd century BC Carthaginian general Hannibal – and references to today’s deadly migrant journeys in the Mediterranean referenced by scattered orange life vests. Barthélemy said he was inspired by the modern voyage of 18-year-old Tunisian influencer Sabee al Saidi, who controversially charted her migration route from her North African homeland to Italy on Instagram and Tiktok in 2021.

Made through a rich selection of materials, including embroidered wool, silk, raffia, cotton and linen, the tapestry eloquently sheds light on Tunisia’s rich artisanal heritage while also rendering a delicate moment within its current history as the nation grapples with socio-economic challenges and the uncertain state of its democracy ahead of presidential elections in November 2024.

“I wanted to depict the issue of migration in the Mediterranean, the relationship between the north and the south and also the decline or betrayal of the late Tunisian president Ben Ali,” said Barthélemy. “I also wanted to celebrate Tunisia’s rich and deeply layered heritage even as so many young Tunisians are now looking at a faraway horizon to blossom faster.”

Tunisian gallerist Lamia Bousnina Ben Ayed’s mission when opening her eponymous gallery, which pioneers a unique space for both art and one-of-a-kind design pieces, was to foster a platform to uphold the talents of Tunisia’s artisans. The North African country, she explains, is home to a rich artisanal community comprising nearly 350,000 artisans, largely women, who play an important yet largely unrecognised role in regional development, especially in marginalised areas. Bousnina’s new space dedicated to design is situated in the heart of Tunis on the first floor of a modern building. Just above, on the second floor, is her 10-year-old concept store and gallery Musk and Amber.

“Just after the 2011 revolution, there were a lot of emerging artists in the scene,” said Bousnina. “There are still not many designers but now designing is playing an important role in Tunisia. After 10 years of Musk and Amber, I wanted to do more with collectible design [in a way] that also values all our Tunisian heritage.”

Barthélemy’s tapestry is part of Carthagisme, Bousnina’s inaugural show, presenting the work of six designers from the Middle East and internationally – Elias and Yousef Anastas from Palestine, Lebanese artist Mary-Lynn Massoud and Georges Mohasseb, Medellín-based American designer Chris Wolston and Barthélemy from France, who is based between Paris, Cairo and Marrakech. All of them have created specially commissioned works in Tunisia with Tunisian artisans.

“Tunisia offers such a crossroads of cultures, marrying the Mediterranean with North Africa,” Nicholas Bellavance-Lecompte, curator of the exhibition, said. “We developed the word ‘Carthagisme’ as a state of mind and a call to action.”

Situated strategically on the Mediterranean Sea, during ancient times, Carthage flourished as a Phoenician trading hub, thus influencing commerce and cultures across the ancient world – exchanges that continue to be felt today throughout the Mediterranean basin and parts of Europe. Bousnina intends to continue such exchanges through the gallery and aims for Carthagisme to be staged in several locations internationally.

Bousnina’s space is the second art gallery to open this year in Tunis. In January Selma Feriani, who has operated a gallery in London since 2010, opened a space inside a former convent from the 1960s. With her new gallery in Tunis, Feriani’s goal is also to create new bridges between Tunisia, Africa, the Middle East and the rest of the world. “We are also trying to bring art into the larger Tunisian community – providing access to communities with no access to art or art activities,” said Feriani.

This burst of newcomers onto Tunisia’s art scene is taking place during a time of great uncertainty for the country. Tunisian voters are gearing up for their third presidential election since the 2011 Revolution. They are resisting the increasingly authoritarian rule imposed by the current President, Kais Saied, since he assumed full control of the nation-state on July 25, 2021.

The mood in Tunis is tense. Since the 2011 revolution, Tunisians have witnessed their living standards drop considerably. Unemployment is high and inflation is increasing. There are consistent shortages of essential goods and few job opportunities, pushing Tunisians to make perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes of a better life abroad – like al Saidi records on social media and Barthélemy captures in his tapestry.

“There may be another revolution in October,” said one Tunisian on condition of anonymity. While the situation is dire, others believe no uprisings will come. Although the space for free speech is dwindling, artists wishing to voice their political opinions have not been silenced. Artist Nidhal Chamekh, who splits his time between Tunis and Paris, has been openly critical of the present regime. Earlier this year, Chamekh showed Et Si Carthage?, a solo exhibition of works at Feriani’s new space. The show used Carthage, ancient and present, as a launch pad to explore racism in America and the treatment of African migrants in Europe.

While there has been a crackdown on the freedom of the press in Tunisia, it doesn’t appear to have affected the creation and exhibition of works by the country’s artists. The paintings of Thameur Mejri, one of Tunisia’s most acclaimed contemporary painters, were on view in Fallen Archetypes, a recent solo exhibition at Selma Feriani Gallery. Mejri is also a professor at the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Nabeul, a coastal town in northeastern Tunisia. His expressive figurative paintings, laden with gestural brushstrokes and poignant symbolism, explore the complexities of human existence, particularly addressing the contemporary realities of the individual and the collective in Tunisia.

Among other notable art spaces and galleries in Tunis are 32 bis, Le Violon Bleu, Yosr Ben Ammar Gallery, the Kamel Lazaar Foundation and La Boîte, a centre for contemporary art founded by Fatma Kilani, with a strong focus on video art. Each year Kilani organises El Kazma, a video art exhibition in the coastal city of Gabès, in parallel with the Gabès Cinema Fen, an annual festival of Arab cinema.

In 2019, longtime Tunisian art collector and patron Lina Lazaar opened B7L9, a new contemporary art space in an impoverished area outside of Tunis. Its mission is “to democratise contemporary art and reinforce social cohesion”.

One of the few organisations to offer artist residences, the space includes a white cube gallery, a library and residency spaces. It hosts a variety of programmes and exhibitions to engage the Tunisian community more fully with art. “We want to use the language of art to stage meaningful conversations that can shift the narratives,” said Lazaar.

Lazaar also stages JAOU, a biennial art festival, through the Kamel Lazaar Foundation (KLF); its seventh edition is scheduled for October 2024. During the festival, artworks are placed throughout the city centre – where in 2011 Tunisians rose to demand change, inspiring revolts across the Arab world. The festival has also been staged around historical structures and museums, including the Bardo National Museum in 2015. Home to the world’s greatest collection of Roman mosaics, it is also the site of a March 2015 terrorist attack that killed 20 people. JAOU was staged two months later, to explore art’s role amid global conflict and offer hope and historical legacy during a time of hardship.

Similarly, Carthagisme, proposed Bellavance-Lecompte in his curatorial statement, “…forges new pathways towards reflection and inclusivity.” These new spaces for art and design in Tunis are akin to beacons of hope during continuous moments of uncertainty. They also shed light on the rich cultural ecosystem that Tunisia offers, from antiquity to the present – a narrative in contrast to the country’s present predicament. “When international museums, curators and collectors visited the gallery, they saw we were part of a larger ecosystem,” beamed Feriani. “We are not alone.”