Lina Lazaar, founder of Jaou Tunis, has initiated a number of quietly, but genuinely subversive projects. In 2012, when married to her first husband, Hassan Jameel of the billionaire Saudi family, she instituted the first Jeddah Art Week – which, called Art JAW, is a progenitor for Art Jaou. “It was the first time ever that men and women mixed with live music in the Kingdom,” she says.
A theatre performance for the deaf by Bahram Aloui, held at former General Labour Union headquarters, where politicians used to make bombastic speeches to win over trade union support. Organised as part of Jaou Tunis.
A view inside Ali Cherri's 'Hybrid 1', at the "earth" pavilion of Jaou Tunis
A conversation among Hedi Khelil, Khadija Hamdi-Soussi and Yazid Oulab in the "earth" pavilion, sited in the Mausoleum Sidi Boukhrissane in Tunis
Asmahan Tlig dancing in her performance with Haythem Achour 'Ogra' (Curtains), which recounts the story of Habiba Msika, a singer whose lover burnt her alive
Visitors watching Naeem Mohaiemen's 'Two Meetings and a Funeral" in the Ottoman-era palace that was the venue for the "air" pavilion at Jaou Tunis
Alex Ayed's 'Kercha' (2018) sculpture in the "water" pavilion of Jaou Tunis
Philippe Parreno's floating fish ('My Room Is Another Fishbowl') in Jaou Tunis's "water" pavilion, held in a French colonialist church turned boxing ring
