A Tunisian-French Graffiti Piece Brings Color to Downtown Tunis

A team of Tunisian and French graffiti artists are putting the finishing touches on a huge graffiti mural in downtown Tunis. The two-day event started on March 29, and is organized by Kif Kif Tunisia and Kif Kif France.

Hend Tekaya, secretary general of Kif Kif Tunisia, described the two-day event as a great occasion to promote art and encourage creativity. The team revamping the rusty wall with spray-paints is composed of four Tunisians and two French graffiti artists.

“This is a first in Tunisia. People are not used to seeing such things. We want to instill a new culture that embraces all types of art, traditional as well as contemporary – such as street art.” said Tekaya.

Tekaya explained that the choice of the location – at the end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba near the TGM station – was well thought-out, and that it stemmed from a desire to embellish the city. “Tunis needs more colors…It is a strategic location, a lot of people pass by it every day. Graffiti is an urban form of art so it made sense to do it in the heart of the city.”

Tekaya asserted that people’s reactions have been very positive. “So far we have had a really good response from people, they were curious, especially children, they were attracted by the flashy colors…people driving by honked at us.” she said.

Kif Kif Tunisia’s secretary general considered the event as a great opportunity for cultural exchange between the Tunisian-French team decorating the wall, as well as an opportunity for aspiring graffiti artists to exchange with the team.

According to Tekaya, the event was financed by donations from both Tunisian and French people, and by subventions from sponsors.

Tekaya declared that the event’s success is morale-boosting, and that they intend to organize more artistic events – not only restricted to graffiti artists.

A press conference will be held tomorrow at 2 pm by the representatives of Kif  Kif, at El Teatro in downtown Tunis, in order to give more details about the organization’s goals, and to discuss the cultural scene in Tunisia.

To see more photos of the graffiti, consult our Flickr account.