Art Panel Discussion Draws Mixed Reactions from Audience at Ennahdha Congress

Co-written with Farah Samti

As the Ennahdha Congress prepares to unveil its internal election results, the party offered the public an opportunity to enter into panel discussions with party members and special guests to raise awareness about different social and cultural topics.

Today, a panel entitled: Revolution and Art: The status of art in revolutions, Art between modernity and revolutionism, Art in the Arab Spring was offered. Speakers included professors of art and art history, as well as some affiliated with the Tunisian artistic community.

The panel discussed how Tunisian identity has shaped art throughout history. Professor Lassaad Kriaa argued that identity is not stable, but rather it changes over time. He pointed to Berber and Arab influence throughout history, indicating that art develops within specific contexts and thus cannot be limited to one definition or form.

After the panelist gave brief speeches, audience members were invited to provide their opinions on the panel and the status of art in Tunisia. The audience was mixed in their reactions, however.

Many participants were displeased at the content of the panel. Some were hoping to discuss current issues, like the recent outcry over art at Palais Abdellia in La Marsa. “I came all the way from the coast to participate in an important debate about art since the revolution. This is not what I expected, and I am extremely disappointed,” one attendee remarked to Tunisia Live.

Members of the Tunisian artistic community were also present at the event. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the debate and called for a discussion about deeper cultural and social issues.

“This was the first Carthage Festival since the revolution. We expected this to be about the revolution and about changes since then. We need something to celebrate our revolutionary gains,” one audience member added.

Not all of audience members were displeased with the event, however. One man in the audience explained that post-revolutionary art can help solidify Tunisia’s new identity. “Since 1956, people in charge of art and media have been from the secular elite community. We need Ennahdha to provide an alternative.” The audience member also complained about what he considers a lack of Tunisians’ basic knowledge about their own history.

“Tunisians know more about Egyptian history than their own [history]. We need new [cultural] programming,” he asserted.

The audience member concluded his speech by saying, “We need to stop secular extremism in Tunisia.”

The mixed reactions of today’s panel indicate that the role of art in post-revolutionary Tunisia remains a contentious topic. While art is at times politicized, Tunisians still appreciate the role that it plays.

In the midst of today’s debate, Tunisians in attendance celebrated one audience member’s impromptu performance of a revolution-themed song by Egyptian Cheikh Imam.