Contemporary Art in Tunisia

Episode 144: Contemporary Art in Tunisia

As part of the AIMS Contemporary Art Fellowship, Ignacio Villalón conducted research into the contemporary art scene in Tunisia, exploring private and public cultural institutions, sources of funding, questions of language, and ongoing challenges. This project culminated in a report, written for academic and non-academic audiences alike. In this podcast, Villalón summarises the main findings of his research, focusing on a few select phenomena in the Tunisian art scene. 

Ignacio Villalón is a writer, researcher, and journalist with a focus on politics and culture in the Mediterranean region. He received his Master's degree in History from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, for which he conducted research on emigration (hijra) in early 20th century Algeria. As AIMS Contemporary Arts Fellow, he carried out research on the arts scene in Tunisia. He has published articles in "Le Quotidien d'Oran" and "Africa is a Country." Ignacio is currently CAORC Social Sciences Fellow.

This interview was recorded on May 13, 2022, via Zoom and led by Katarzyna Falecka, Lecturer in Art History at Newcastle University and Project Coordinator at the Centre d'Études Maghrébines à Tunis (CEMAT)

To see related slides, please visit our website:  www.themaghribpodcast.com   We thank our friend Ignacio Villalón, AIMS contemporary art follow for his guitar performance of A vava Inouva of Idir for the introduction and conclusion of this podcast.    Edited and Posted by: Hayet Lansari, Librarian, Outreach Coordinator, Content Curator (CEMA).