Lina Lazaar, founder of Jaou Tunis, has initiated a numbe...

The National
  • 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.
    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 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 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
    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
    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 
    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 
    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 
    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