Placed under the sign “Art, a path”, the Days of Contemporary Art of Carthage (JACC) in their third edition are the edition of anchoring, reconciliation and perpetuation for this essential event of contemporary art in Tunisia, long-awaited by all Tunisian artists, after two years of suspension related to Covid-19, said Samira Turki Torgeman, president of the 2023 edition of JACC.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning at the Hall of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Macam, in the City of Culture, a major partner in this event, she stressed that this session, which takes place from May 26 to 30, 2023, aims to meet various plastic experiences, to establish a necessary bridge between the generations of artists from here and elsewhere, to value the various experiments and plastic languages, to initiate the debate on the importance of contemporary art in modern Tunisia, as well as the status of the artist today.
These days, added Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Ahlem Boussandel, will create new pictorial traditions by offering 150 Tunisian artists and 52 foreigners from 23 countries, the opportunity to meet, discuss and contribute to promoting art in all its forms, in all its expressions and origins.
After the first session in 2018 “1st Art Market in Tunisia” and the second in 2019 “Art at Work”, the 2023 edition, which honours Palestine, is presented in the form of 4 large pavilions.
In the international pavilion, 63 works will be on display in addition to installations (3) and a performance that will take place in the esplanade of the City.
Contemporary art in all its forms, namely painting, engraving, photography, sculpture, installations, performance art and video art will be present.
At the national pavilion, 60 Tunisian artists and 3 prizes.
An exhibition will present various contemporary artworks, such as painting, engraving, photography, sculpture, installations and performance art. It will bring together the 60 participating Tunisian visual artists and three prizes (based on competition) will be awarded to the most outstanding works, chosen by a jury.
The exhibition will take place in the lower space of the Cité de la Culture. A central space has been specially designed to pay tribute to several Tunisian visual artists, the scenographic style is inspired by the Tunisian pavilion present at the 22nd session of the Milan Triennial.
In the main hall, a pavilion will be dedicated to 16 international and national galleries with the aim of contributing to the advancement of the art market and optimising its potential. 9 foreign galleries and 7 Tunisian galleries will be invited with a retrospective space dedicated to the Chiyem Gallery which had a considerable impact on the visual arts in Tunisia in the 1990s before closing its doors in 2000. In addition, a team of students will act as cultural mediators for the foreign galleries throughout the event.
The garden of the City of Culture will host the open-air pavilion where an exhibition of 30 artists provides a platform to promote artistic exploration in the field of contemporary art, including performances, installations, mapping, happenings, land art and fashion shows. It offers artists an opportunity to exhibit their experiences.
Outside the spaces of the City of Culture, the House of Arts in Belvedere will host a retrospective exhibition of 60 works from the National Fund and also from private collections, aiming to highlight the pictorial experience of the School of Tunis and its contribution to the evolution of the national artistic movement. It will present works of art from the National Fund as well as contributions from the artists’ heirs.
A wink will be given in the pavilion “Souviens- toi” to Ezzeddine Alaya, former student of the Higher Institute of Fine Arts of Tunis (ISBAT) and famous sculptor, fashion designer and major contributor to the Tunisian creative heritage recognized worldwide. A subtle wink marked by the organisation of a great commemorative ceremony in partnership with the foundation that preserves his artistic heritage.
In the continuity of the first and second editions, the Regional Days of Contemporary Art of Carthage (JRAAC) 2023 will extend over three regions: Bizerte, Monastir and Medenine (Djerba) with the participation of 90 artists and 90 works. The exhibitions that will be presented in the regions are achievements of the JACC 2023.
3 panels around scientific themes and the most influential creative phenomena both in Tunisia and in the rest of the world are on the programme with the participation of 12 speakers: an international symposium on copyright and intellectual property, a panel on street art and contemporary art and a round table on the Tunis School.
A closing ceremony will be held on May 30, 2023, at the Theatre of the Regions to award the prizes to the winners with a soundtrack of a performance by Nasreddine Chebli, Tanit de Bronze JMC (Journées Musicales de Carthage) 2016 for his show Fallegua”.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
