“Out & About” by Fatma Ben Aissa and Slim Baccar: Trans-identities in photos

“The red room” is no longer so red during the TQR. It’s quite pink! In the most subdued lighting, photographic portraits of visible Tunisian Queer people are striking: they are signed in black and white by the photographic and visual artist Fatma Ben Aissa. The scenography of this photo and audio exhibition is provided by Slim Baccar, who was also responsible for the lighting design. The installation is titled “Out & About” and deals in depth with gender identity, introspective personal narratives and mental health. Entering it feels like a suspension of time, in a carefully designed space. Fatma ben Aissa gives some words about “Out & About” : “This project has its roots in a personal experience that deeply influenced my artistic vision and led me to undertake this creative journey. Two decades ago, I discovered that my best friend cross-dressed. It was not simply a game or casual exploration of gender identity, but a profound affirmation of her felt femininity. It was a revelation that changed their life and that of those around them, including mine. As a loved one, I shared the moments of questioning, pain, challenge and triumph. This person’s journey was much more than an identity, it was a complex emotional journey. The desire to create an art project that gives voice to the experiences of transgender people was born from these years of support and learning. Over time, I observed the ups and downs of thier journey, as well as how society reacted to their trans identity.”

The artist does not fail to underline the importance of the research carried out beforehand. She comments: “The research for this project led me to meet and know people from diverse backgrounds. I have listened to some stories, shared intimate moments, and I am preparing to experience others. I also explored academic studies on trans identity and mental health in certain complex cultural contexts. These experiences, meetings and studies shaped the direction of the project. I understood how essential it is to break stereotypes and allow these voices to be expressed. The importance of raising awareness about the mental health of transgender people, especially in our societies, has become a deep conviction. My goal is to bring these experiences to life and create a space for understanding, tolerance and dialogue. My friend’s personal anecdote is the emotional source of this project, but it has become much larger. It represents a response to the need to give voice to transgender experiences, to challenge social norms and to celebrate the diversity of gender identities in the specific cultural contexts that I explore.” She concludes. 

“Glue Pads” by Ghofrane: Committed humor

At nightfall, after three artistic interludes, the fervour of the audience reached its peak when they discovered that “Glue Pads” by author and performer Ghofrane was a stand-up show. It’s a stage moment that heralds laughter, cynicism and daring black humour. A moment to laugh… intelligently! This stand-up comedy is written by a young academic in her thirties, specialising in English literature, with Essia Jaïbi as dramaturg. 

For six long years, Ghofrane has been teaching at a university in Sbeitla, using the hectic public transport system and going through thick and thin to meet her students. One day, seated in a collective taxi, she is seized by a pressing desire 30 minutes before the vehicle’s stop-break and sees her life full of funny anecdotes flash before her eyes. What is there to remember about such a powerful monologue performed from start to finish on the roof of the Mdag el Halfa cultural centre? “It is a creative process which resulted in “Glue Pads”. A unique experience, lived alongside Essia who accompanied me in the writing, step by step, until finding myself on stage and managing to face the public, to challenge an entire system, using a raw, rich, spontaneous, personal language, expressed in Tunisian dialect. The monologue was retrospective: I drew on my childhood, on various anecdotes, on my traumas and my fears and starting from a question: Why is it important for me to do a stand-up, with such a title? A title that refers to a life learnt at school, in high school, in the street… so many stories taken from personal experiences, which I see as scattered sticky pieces or ones which could also be taken off, ones which define me now”. Comments Ghofrane with relief and satisfaction. This final stand-up is bold and courageous. She continues: “I’d like to come back to the momentum that has linked me to Essia Jaïbi. We have a lot in common, as young Tunisian women who have always lived in a society that is not totally conservative… but not progressive either. A Tunisia riven by immense contradictions. Her directorial style was uplifting and enriching, and made me feel at ease. I was able to savour a great deal of instant recognition as I experienced Glue Pads.”

“Crow’s Maze” by Rym Amami and Ghazi Frini: Dark and deadpan

We head for the chapel of “Dar Meso” to meet a crow in the throes of existential angst, portrayed by Rym Amami (RyA). The performer decides to tell her story in a direct, raw theatrical monologue, full of bitter, sarcastic laughter. In collaboration with Ghazi Frini, and following an unfortunate set of circumstances, the author became the performer and director of Crow’s Maze. She explains: “Initially, I was asked to be a guest artist and writer for a Lebanese artist living in Berlin who wanted to work with testimonies collected from queer Arabs. Initially, this was the main idea that I tried to keep within the framework of the TQR for the performance. Unfortunately, as is the case with many Arab artists, she was refused a visa twice and was unable to attend the first part of the residency. In the end, she withdrew a month before the show and asked me to take on the project. So, I found myself having to rewrite almost all of my initial text, in a very short space of time, and having to put myself on stage for the first time. I rewrote the text while keeping my stress under control, thanks to the support of the artistic and technical directors and the production team, who gave us a great deal of guidance and total freedom of tone.”

In her monologue, Rym Amami evokes taboo subjects such as borders, exile, biphobia, toxic relationships and addiction. She does so in her own way, and in her own preferred language, while referring to fairy tales, fantasies, pop culture references, geek culture, Japanese culture and video mapping.  The Crow’s Maze was born from the fusion of all these elements. Finally, she adds: “Ghazi Frini, a specialist in video and sound and light control with a wealth of experience in theatre and stage shows, has joined me. It’s the first time we’ve worked together. It was an enriching and arduous experience carried out by two people”.

The final stop was reached in sound and video at “Dar El Collectif” with the installation of “Sahq alza’faran” by sound artist Yara Said and visual artist Malab Alneel. Based on in-depth research and documentation, the duo archived the queer culture of the south, a culture created by the diaspora. The work tells the story of a collective existence after exile. For all these performances, a future undoubtedly lies outside the TQR.

By Haithem Haouel 

Translated into English: Yasmine Ben Salah