For its tenth edition, the Dream City biennale is animating the ancient medina of Tunis, turning its alleys, houses, and squares into a vibrant open-air stage for contemporary art. The festival, the culmination of two years of work by the association L’Art Rue, continues its two-decade-long mission of fostering a dialogue between art and the daily lives of the neighborhood’s residents.
This year, Dream City has solidified its role as an essential platform that spotlights a wealth of creations led by women. Among the featured artists are the festival’s own founders, Sofiane and Selma Ouissi. Their work, “Laaroussa,” pays homage to Tunisian potters and the UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage of crafting clay dolls—an ancestral skill traditionally passed from mother to daughter.
“It is essential for Dream City to give space to women,” says co-artistic director Sofiane Ouissi. “There are so many extraordinary, precious women creators. The role of women in Tunisian society is, in any case, a dominant and very important one—and it continues to gain ground, fortunately.”
Many of the presented works are original creations designed specifically for this edition. One standout is Sonia Kallel’s “The Grounding Point,” a vast woven sculpture created over more than a year in collaboration with weavers from the Mrazigue community in the Tunisian desert. Kallel describes exploring a thread-based art that bridges memory and movement. “We compose with nature,” she says, noting the use of harsh materials like goat hair that “carry a certain struggle in their handling.” The process of holding the thread, walking, and returning became a powerful metaphor for displacement and rootedness.
Another highlight is “Asswat”—Arabic for “Voices”—a solo choreography by Cyrinne Douss. In this piece, the dancer’s body is traversed by multiple voices, feminine memories, rituals, and celebrations, creating an immersion into the different dimensions of the feminine experience. “I wanted to explore multiple dimensions of the feminine and multiple possible voices—memorial voices, ancestral voices, voices that run through us as women,” Douss explains.
The Dream City biennale continues its run in the medina of Tunis until October 19th, offering a unique invitation to experience the historic city through the sensitive and transformative gaze of its artists.
TunisianMonitorOnline (BRC)
