The coastal city of Monastir is set to become a vibrant hub for calligraphy and letter-based art as it hosts the second edition of the International Festival of Calligraphy and Calligraffiti from November 28 to 30, 2025.
Organized by the Monastir Cultural Center, the three-day festival promises a rich program of exhibitions, workshops, and live performances so as to explore the modern evolution of Arabic script in contemporary art.
The festivities will commence on Friday, November 28, with the inauguration of a central art exhibition titled “Calligraphy and Calligraffiti.” The opening will be accompanied by a musical performance by maestro Ziad Ben Khadhr.
Later that evening, the festival will feature a keynote discussion led by experts Lamjed Nouri and Omar Jemeni. Their talk, “The Letter as a Visual Element: A Look at Modern Calligraffiti Experiments,” will delve into how traditional script is being reimagined by today’s artists.
Saturday, November 29, is dedicated to hands-on learning, with workshops beginning at the Cultural Center. Aspiring artists can choose from:
- A classical Arabic calligraphy workshop supervised by Omar Jemeni.
- A modern calligraffiti workshop led by Lamjed Nouri.
- A traditional ornamentation and illumination workshop run by Noureddine Aouni.
The day will then transition into an evening of sensory delight, culminating in a performance. Attendees will be treated to a musical set by Chaima Khlifi, intertwined with a fashion show titled “Ink and Silk,” where designs are expected to draw inspiration from the fluid forms of calligraphy.
The festival will draw to a close on Sunday, November 30, with a final morning of workshops. The event will conclude with a closing ceremony where participants will be honored, marking the end of what promises to be a significant celebration of Tunisia’s living scriptural heritage.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Douha Essaafi)
