Selma Feriani Opens New Cultural Space Near Tunis with Nidhal Chamekh Exhibition

In January 2024, gallerist Selma Feriani will inaugurate a large cultural space in Tunis, replacing her Sidi Bou Saïd gallery and complementing her temporary London venues. Designed by Chacha Atallah—who worked in Japan with Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma, and in Paris with Barto+Barto and Marc Mimram—the complex is the first of its kind in North Africa, featuring a library, bookstore, exhibition space, and an adjacent sculpture garden. Built to the highest museum standards, it emphasizes public and educational programs for local communities. The project aims to build a significant cultural network for emerging and established artists from Tunisia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. The building, named after Feriani, incorporates sustainable design with solar energy and rainwater harvesting. The inaugural exhibition, 'Et si Carthage… / And what if Carthage…' curated by Kathryn Weir, runs from January 25 to April 7, 2024, featuring Tunisian Paris-based artist Nidhal Chamekh. His work spans drawing, installation, photography, and video, exploring identity at the intersection of daily life and politics. The new works, created at the gallery's L'Atelier in Tunis, are inspired by Édouard Glissant's poem collection 'Sel noir' (1960), which imagines alternative histories for Carthage after Roman destruction. Chamekh's pieces affirm the regenerative potential of untold stories. His work has been shown at the Venice Biennale, Aichi Triennale, Yinchuan Biennale, and Dakar Biennale.