Photos aggregator

Wednesday 1 July
Fort Lazaret
09h to 12h
Workshops for children
Guided tour of exhibition
Photomontage
Crafts
Ciné-club
with Héjar, Rania, Rabaa, Salma, Ons, and Marwen Hamideddine
Radiography with Amal

16h to 18h
Public animation
Pixelmania with Karim
Guided tour
Drafting of Capri
Radiography with Amal

20h to 22h
Welcome Dinner
Presentation of the photographers, the team and organizing committee

00h to 02h
After midnight
Plage Sidi Ali el Mekki
Informal meeting with photographers.

Thursday, July 2
Fort Lazaret
09h to 12h
Workshops for children
Guided tour of exhibition
Photomontage
Crafts
Ciné-club
with Héjar, Rania, Rabaa, Salma, Marwen Ons and Hamid
Radiography with Amal

09h à 12h et de 15h à 18h
Workshop “How and what to expose”

Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar el Melh, held during the 7th edition of a workshop for photographers participating in this edition. It is often difficult to choose among those photographs which could constitute a coherent whole. It is not just a matter of common theme or a technique, but the search for harmony. The corpus consists of photographs represents the work done and likely to become an exhibition. Participants may come with a portfolio, in the form of photo prints for books, CDs, or display on laptop.
Direction: Natalia Jaskula (Commissioner of international expositions and photographer).
Coordination: Hamideddine Bouali (Critique photo, photography teacher).
Free registration Hamid call 99 950978 to book

16h to 18h
Adult Animation
Pixelmania with Karim
Drafting of Capri
Radiography with Amal

00h to 02h:
After midnight
Plage Sidi Ali el Mekki
informal meeting with the photographers.

Friday, July 3
Fort Lazaret
09h to 12h
Workshops for children
Guided tour of exhibition
Photomontage
Crafts
Ciné-club
with Héjar, Rania, Rabaa, Salma, Marwen Ons and Hamid
Radiography with Amal

16h to 18h
Public animation
Pixelmania with Karim
Drafting of Capri
Radiography with Amal

21h to midnight
The Nocturnes, slide projection
Before program works free
The lessons of photo with the participation
Yoan of CIMI, Lucie & Simon,
Romain Leblanc, Natalia Jaskula,
Hamideddine Bouali, Stella Bolonaki

00h to 02h
After midnight
Plage Sidi Ali el Mekki
informal meeting with the photographers.

Saturday 4 July
Fort Lazaret
09h to 12h
Workshops for children
Guided tour of exhibition
Photomontage
Crafts
Ciné-club
with Héjar, Rania, Rabaa, Salma, Marwen Ons and Hamid
Radiography with Amal

16h to 18h
Public animation
Pixelmania with Karim
Drafting of Capri
Radiography with Amal

19.30
Ceremony

21:00
Live from Fort Lazaret a special photo on Channel 21

00h to 02h
After midnight
Plage Sidi Ali el Mekki
informal meeting with the photographers.

Sunday 5 July
Fort Lazaret
09h to 12h
Workshops for children
Guided tour of exhibition
Photomontage
Crafts
Ciné-club
with Héjar, Rania, Rabaa, Salma, Marwen Ons, Hamid
Radiography with Amal

16h to 18h
Public animation
Pixelmania with Karim
Drafting of Capri
Radiography with Amal

20h to midnight
Dinner and Farewell.

For more information contact Hamid 99 590578

Labels: 7th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh, Photography

published by Hamideddine Bouali at 02:31 | 1 comments
Monday 22 June 2009
Poster of the 7th edition

7th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar el Melh
from 1 to 5 July 2009

..
Samir Malkhlouf visual, design Hamideddine Bouali

Labels: 6th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh, 7th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh, Poster, Hamideddine Bouali, Samir Makhlouf

published by Hamideddine Bouali at 19:32 | 1 comments
Sunday 21 June 2009
List of photographers

7th International Meeting
Photograph of the Ghar El Melh
1st – 5 July 2009
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List of photographers

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Carte Blanche collectors

Van Raepenbusch Gilbert (France / Tunisia)

Beit el Bennani Fund

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Wassim Abdellatif (Tunisia)

Ons Abid (Tunisia)

Mohamed Akram Belaid (Tunisia)

Benzid Lilia (Tunisia)

Bolonaki Stella (Greece)

Tatiana Margaux Bonhomme (France)

Bouali Hamideddine (Tunisia)

Cappe Cynhia (France)

Catzaras Marianne (Greece / Tunisia)

Heithem Chebbi Mohamed (Tunisia)

Crest Yoann (France / Tunisia)

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Collective Exhibition

Workshop without Title (Tunisia)

Promotion AAC 2009 (Tunisia)

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Gaël Coto (France)

From Mauvinière Sylvia (Belgium)

Dhahak Chahine (Tunisia)

Ghimagi Ons (Tunisia)

Mohamed Harbi Slim (Tunisia)

Jabeur Salah (Tunisia)

Natalia Jaskula (France / Poland)

Jerbi Wejdene (Tunisia)

Siala Jmal Mouna (Tunisia)

Khéchine Abderrazak (Tunisia)

Romain Leblanc (France)

Lucie and Simon (France)

M’Rad Karim (Tunisia)

Douraid Souissi (Tunisia)

Marwan Trabelsi (Tunisia)

Wacowski Piotr (Poland)

Labels: 7th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh

published by Hamideddine Bouali at 22:34 | 0 comments
7th Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar el Melh

7th International Meeting
Photograph of the Ghar El Melh
1st – 5 July 2009

PROGRAM
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Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh no longer an event, they entered the habits of Tunisians, as the Festival of Carthage, or Kélibia Mahres. The most notable being the name of the shortcut, if you go to Tabarka is to listen to jazz, El Jem to enjoy Symphonies at Ghar el Melh is obviously photography that s question. Ghar el Melh, a majestic fort, a peaceful village, a beautiful beach … the guide would be incomplete without Encounters returning for the seventh consecutive year, beating the record for longevity in an international event, held in Tunisia, reserved exclusively to photography .
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Exhibitions
We always think to question the very idea of state. It must be said that since the beginning of the twentieth century this has always made the same way. Exposure is simply framed photographs distributed by a certain logic in a well lit room. Attempts have not failed to revisit this tradition, but it all boils down to this procedure because the secular important to look at a photograph takes precisely this confrontation between the viewer and the photographer, the latter through his work.
This year too we will witness a variety of looks, enhancing the imagination and a clear desire to imagine a different world. The photographic opportunities this year are even richer, the systematic practice of staging, or put into life, to the world as it stands, the public will be invited to be among these possibilities. This year Fetart, Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Photography, based in Paris, offers exhibitions of great class for our greatest pleasure.
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Carte blanche to collectors
After photographs of Mustapha Bouchoucha Victor Sebag, Soler and some anonymous we continue this year the discovery of photographers who have completed the photo album of Tunisia. This year Beit el Bennani us to be cognizant of the expertise of a professional photographer. Photography by Gilbert Van Raepenbush, sober, not without artifice, but with much rigor in the composition and framing, is a lesson in photographic technique.
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Round tables and discussion: “Controversies still …”
(Hamideddine Bouali, critic and historian of photography)
The exhibition was great stir in Lausanne in 2008, it was talked about in the catalog of meetings last year. Scheduled again this year in Paris, she was more appreciated and organizers added a subtitle: “Stories in Pictures”, played on the polysemy of the term history. A visual reminder of these photographs in the history of photography but have also been subject to criticism, often virulent, the audience will discuss issues that photography has always been. The question is whether this is an integral part of this medium off-standard or of a social debate that a day will definitely exceeded?
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The Nocturnes
Photography lessons will be an opportunity to see and hear how the photographers talk about their colleagues. Photographers invited or selected to present this seventh edition, with photographs, works of their colleagues they like, which influence or which are similar. Opportunity to attend conferences novel, where the photographs will be better appreciated as used in conjunction with the inclinations of the author.
Other photographers submit their work to criticism and debate in the presence of connoisseurs. Appointment to be unique in today’s landscape photography. The Nocturnes, a portfolio light not to be missed.
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Workshop for children and adults
In photography children Ghar el Melh are spoiled anywhere else they may consider an exhibition gallery as a playground like this that is happening in their village. So we decided to familiarize themselves with other activities that serve to further refine their tastes and preferences. They will design, sculpture, reuse of household waste and to comment on the film they just watched. Five days of multidisciplinary activities after the end of the school year, children not deserve all, a table of honor for their creativity?
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Le Corsaire: Meetings of the newspaper and Radiography
Le Corsaire, the newspaper of the Meetings will accompany this edition by a radio, which will not pirate. The silence of the fort will be pushed by the waves of the station, which will issue its programs for the benefit of visitors. Le Corsaire Graphie and Radio will be there to give news, conduct interviews, make the weather so that we will add the photographs and his writing …
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Pixelmania
Karim is unbeatable on digital, the ownership, maintenance of cameras, file transfer and improvement on the graphics … It always has a trick to avoid the return of your materials to after-sales service, the best way to make you more efficient with a premium, and word games and a smile staggering. Enjoy it’s free.

Workshop “How and what to expose? “
Led by Natalia Jaskula and coordinated by Hamideddine Bouali, this workshop is for photographers participating in this edition. It is often difficult to choose among those photographs which could constitute a coherent whole. It is not just a matter of common theme or a technique, but the search for harmony. The corpus consists of photographs represents the work done and likely to become an exhibition. It would be desirable that participants be accompanied by a portfolio, in the form of photo prints for books, CDs, or display on laptop.
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After midnight
On one edition to another, only the moments, impressions jealously guarded, memories and the catalog. If the catalog is the support of each issue, listing the photographers and animations organized, only references to the unique atmosphere of Ghar el Melh will know what this event actually is. After midnight is one of the appointments that are most unlikely. No program, no invitation, no time only certainty: The beach of Sidi Ali el Mekki … This is all alone and it is magical. In recent years this component of the program wonder where people are meeting, we reserve the surprises that a director can not predict … In fact after midnight is the magic of Ghar el Melh gift.

Source [Du photographie- Hamideddine Bouali]

milliped posted a photo:

Take cover

Art that shocks is not necessarily meant to shock, but I would say that the fundamental aim is to reveal the hidden, the silenced, the unseen, and the forgotten. Such an art speaks what should not spoken and exhibits what should be not shown, a daring choice of the artist who seeks to distress the ordinary, the common, and the mainstream with the different and the alternative.

According to Michel Foucault, the official discourses occlude forms of knowledge that are different and distinct from them. Hence, the normal person is not the specimen; the good citizen is different from the delinquent; the normal straight cannot be a pervert; a girl cannot be a boy. Official discourses are but constructs, and when we tackle the question of gender, we may say that the demarcation between sexes is but a social and cultural construct, a wobbly duality.

An exhibition of daring photographs in the Gallery “Cine Son” in La Marsa is wrapping up this weekend after running about two weeks and bestowing an opportunity upon the lovers and enthusiasts of art and photography to discover an alternative perspective and representation of gender. Tarak Khalladi, a young Tunisian cineaste and photographer, an emerging talent, is one of the partakers in this exhibition. Speaking to Alarabonline, Khalladi said, “I think it is high time to offer the young Tunisian talents a chance to enter the arena of artistic design. Tunisian art has a lot to say and to offer, notably new and original techniques and perspectives”.

Presenting his work, Kalladi added, “I attempted to blur the boundary between the masculine and the feminine so as to shatter the demarcation line between genders. In photos, I tried to highlight masculinity that survives within extreme and intense femininity”. In black and white, the photos speak out a message, a modern or let us brand it a “postmodern message” that blurs boundaries and blows apart duality. Deconstructing, to use the expression coined by Jacques Derrida, the already-established official gender construct, Khalladi shot to some extent erotic, but expressive scenes: a woman girded with a bodice, an ode to seductive femininity; another woman dressed like a little girl clutching a doll, a quiz, a quagmire that pushes the viewers to ask quite a few questions, paradoxes brought into harmony through the camera of the artist photographer.

With Khalladi, art has no taboo as it digs into the secrecies and ambiguities of the body, the body that has it own aesthetics though always silenced. A new approach to photography, the young artist has adopted through mixing different techniques and making use of the skills he gained from cinematography. In an attempt to satisfy an audience that has been bored with minimalism and superficiality, the artist has conducted his research and enquiry taking the body as a starting point to convey a new perception.

It is worth noting, in this context, that Khalladi has worked with a number of Tunisian and foreign artists, notably painter Aicha Ben Mostapha throughout the exhibition that was held in El-Teatro in Tunis, Abdelaziz Mohsni, Sami Mrad, Claude Perez, Lamine Sassi, Chahla Soumer, Ahmed Zelfani and others.

Via [Alarab Online]

26 – June 29, 2008
Scheduling

Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie de Ghar El Melh have become the great appointment of photography in Tunisia. Photographers from all sides: confirmed, new, children and the general public expect the last week of June to look, listen, do speak… all the senses will be arrested. Exhibits, workshops, panel discussions, slide shows a menu is also gratifying that teaching.
Exposures
Since its invention, photography continues to metamorphose, to the point where it seems that every photographer, creating its subject, invents its own medium. Each edition of the Rencontres is an anthology of looks from here and elsewhere previously. Venues from abroad or Tunisia, exhibitions are always a certain way of seeing the world. In Bamako as in Arles, Paris or Barcelona, the organisers: commissioner or curator, s’ingénient to build a theme events. In the exhibition galleries Fort Ghar El Melh – former penal colony – where for a long time any event basic freedom was banned today no restrictions are imposed. Meetings Ghar El Melh are a tribute, always renewed, the photographers who sublimate life.

Carte Blanche collectors The exhibitions last year Mustapha Bouchoucha and Victor Sebag had a great success. This year Beit Bennani and Iadh Behi return to submit their shots heart. “Anonymous” is a selection of photographs without mention delved into the fund Beit Bennani, but whose documentary value is undeniable. Soler was the photographer for a long time that any s’arrachait Tunis, he was the photographer official ceremonies, the reporter whose photos illustrated journals from the early twentieth century and a portrait of talent. Iadh Behi offers a choice of savoir faire of this photographer.

Round Tables I: “The pictures today”
(Led by Amar Dhaya, University)

It is possible to consider photography as an area that is sufficient in itself, a stirring panorama as broad as the imagination allows the photographer while being containing photographic. It is also possible to meet a different picture, known as plastic, worked or “photoshopée”, which spans areas, erases labels and demystifies history.
The first provided a wealth of world-famous photographers, a significant amount of works that take the icon. The second, because newer, less is known to the public. Visible only in the galleries, it is for the moment, confidential.
These two photographs meet sometimes violently, through their tenants, with arguments by critics texts and rarely through the works or theories.
All of this leads inevitably to, once again, seeking a definition of photography and a statute for the photographer.

Round Tables II: “The photograph in these relations with the media”
(Led by Mohamed Elhedef, journalist and photographer)

What information should be mostly in their paper version without photographs? A non-illustrated article seems sometimes suspect because the photographers, amateur or professional, are ubiquitous. But this beautiful marriage between the press and the picture is sometimes acrimonious. The scenes of households are becoming common to the point where it is periodically to the brink of collapse.
Photographs published out of context of achievement, false stories, even photographers who manipulate their works have become commonplace.
Like always trains arriving on time and nobody speaks and who become the subject of a scandal without precedent when one of them shows a slight delay, photography fills often marvel at its role . The debate, introduced by a review of photographs that have surprised, shocked or outraged, analyze the path that follows an image of the photographer drive. Course mined, chaotic and often dangerous.

The Night meetings
The evenings of meetings will be set aside for photography, how can it be otherwise, thirst that we organize and you look. In the vast courtyard of the first fort, projections will be organized to add to the vision, the sound of music accompanying commentary or a photographer. Jean Claude – alias Father Fourat – Imed and Donia show every night bêtisier Encounters. This year, a slide show will allow the public to assess programmes carried out by photographers who hope to win “The challenge for Ghar El Melh” trophy that will crown the creativity and boldness.

Photography workshop for children and adults
The workshops, as their name suggests, are more than one site preparations. The result does not count more than the work leading thereto. “The Wall images”, “Life, face and portrait”, “Their photos… our legends”, “Family Album,” are some of the workshops where children give free rein to their imagination, fantasy and innocence. The photographers will be invited to take part and children by the hand to the wonderful world of photography.

Journal of Meetings
Le Corsaire écumera the shores of Ghar El Melh for the third consecutive year. Auditors reported the course of the event, interviews with photographers, citations to remember, excerpts book to read, memorize vocabulary, helping heart of poets, are the topics.

Photo Academy
The Academy of Art in Carthage is a new private school to teach photography in Tunisia. With equipment at the cutting edge of technology, experienced teachers will be glad to show you how to use your digital camera, make a portrait studio and exploit the possibilities of Photoshop. A team of students from this institution will cover the highlights of the day and will screen his interviews and reports each evening.

Back in a work, photography by A. Kahia
What other event could pay tribute to Abdelhamid Kahia? Les Rencontres hope enroll in the Tunisian landscape photography as a reference to consult. A slide show, made after his great book “Tunisia” published in 1964, will explore photography Abdelhamid Kahia, one of the few masters of photography Tunisia.

After midnight
“After midnight” is a meeting, informal and relaxed on the beach of Sidi Ali El Mekki, where interrogations, which have always accompanied the photographer, will be raised. What is a good photograph? The photographer must seek to be happy or to please the public? And the art market! Should we follow or ignore? These are some of the questions which no reply has been unanimously. Here and nowhere else, the digressions are allowed if desired, photography leads to everything and what better place to escape the starry sky of Tunisia and the beach of Sidi Ali El Mekki? The echoes of discussions last year, which ended at sunrise, still resonate today. Some went to bed others have had enough strength to go eat doughnuts and start a new day. The meeting is also this: a performance of physical endurance.

The animations

June 26

09h-12h: photography workshops for children
“Guided tours of exhibitions with Hamideddine
“The wall images with Rania
“Your photos… our legends” with Hajer
“Life, face portraits” with Rabaa
16h-18h: Workshop for adolescents and adults
“Picture Academy”, with the Academy of Art in Carthage
22h to 00h: Nocturnes.
The information (students of the Academy of Art in Carthage)
“Back in a work, photography by A. Kahia” Hamideddine
Slideshows contributing to the Challenge Ghar El Melh
“The bêtisier of the day” by Jean Claude alias Father Fourat, Imed and Donia
Beach Sidi El Mekki
00h to 02h: “After midnight, meeting informally with photographers.

June 27

09h-12h: photography workshops for children
“Guided tours of exhibitions with Lilia
“The wall images with Rania
“Your photos… our legends” with Hajer
“Life, face portraits” with Rabaa
16h-18h: Workshop for adolescents and adults
“Picture Academy”, with the Academy of Art in Carthage
22h to 00h: Nocturnes.
The information (students of the Academy of Art in Carthage)
Slideshows contributing to the Challenge Ghar El Melh
“The bêtisier of the day” by Jean Claude alias Father Fourat, Imed and Donia
Beach Sidi El Mekki
00h to 02h: “After midnight, meeting informally with photographers.

June 28

09h-12h: photography workshops for children
“Guided tours of exhibitions” with Marianne
“The wall images with Rania
“Your photos… our legends” with Hajer
“Life, face portraits” with Rabaa ”
“Reporters at GEM” with Lilia
16h-18h: Workshop for adolescents and adults
“Picture Academy”, with the Academy of Art in Carthage
Panel I: “The pictures today”
22h to 00h: Nocturnes.
The information (students of the Academy of Art in Carthage)
Slideshows contributing to the Challenge Ghar El Melh
“The day of the bêtisier” by Jean Claude alias Father Fourat, Imed and Donia
Beach Sidi El Mekki
00h to 02h: “After midnight, meeting informally with photographers.

June 29

09h-12h: photography workshops for children
“Guided tours of exhibitions with Nathalia
“The wall images with Rania
“Your photos… our legends” with Hajer
“Life, face portraits” with Rabaa
“Family Albums” with Lilia
16h-18h: Workshop for adolescents and adults
“Picture Academy”, with the Academy of Art in Carthage
Panel II: “The photograph in these relations with the media”
22h to 00h: Nocturnes.
“The bêtisier of the day” by Jean Claude alias Father Fourat, Imed and Donia
Slideshows contributing to the Challenge Ghar El Melh and awards ceremony.
“Back in a work, photography by A. Kahia” Hamideddine
Special Info (students of the Academy of Art in Carthage)
Beach Sidi El Mekki
00h to 02h: “After midnight,” Farewell.

Via [Du photographique] freshly translated fron French with Google.

Last Saturday night, riding the empty metro with some jerk friends nd taking some memorial photos (refer to my photolog) when suddenly a security customer (usually assigned to the metro through the hottest nights with increasing violence in Saturdays and beyond the midnights service) get out the driver booth and told me :”taking photos in the train is prohibited !! give me your camera !”, so my reaction was a big exclamation, my friends stood up and I told him that we were taking self photos, as he smelt the breeze of alcohol he gave up his fury.

The point is every time I tried to take a photo some guy usually the security forces, or even a simple employee, shows up and ask me to stop taking photos, as if I were shooting a nuclear plant or his daughter naked, damn world ! how can I practice photographing if everywhere my cam becomes a spy’s gadget ?

As locals taking photos of the market, people, the little wood next to your city around is always are not welcome : they will ask you to stop, or who you are ? or in some extreme cases :”show me you ID !”, ans so on, even I have developed many techniques of camouflage such as holding the cam in my hand and press the trigger, or try to find a hideout where nobody would notice me, or just talk with the people around creating some kind of friendship that leads to a unlimited photographing license, sometimes I have even paid to take shots.

Despite, If you’re a tourist to a resident foreigner (or just look like), you’ll just get smiles everywhere and take photos as free as a you were shooting your personnel garden, the police, or the people around won’t disturb your open photo workshop : God Bless Tourism !

I don’t understand this exaggerated awareness about the camera, or is it just about the media ? thus that most of the Tunisian think that all local photographers are working certainly for a newspaper, and their rear is justified as the press has been publishing unauthorized photos of many people without any permission for decades (the law has been fixed a few years ago), and all those photographers were pretending to be just making photos for joy or as souvenirs !

But the point is that Tunisian don’t really understand photography, except wedding or ID portrait, here in this country we don’t trust a man with a Camera, just because we don’t know him or we haven’t asked for his services, we don’t see the photos with art issues as they could harm our life making us uncovered.

It’s in the late years with the increasing popularity of the digital photography, that usual people shoot in the open air and that people are accepting those devices becoming a usual tool to memorize warm moments or just for fun, led by the outnumbering of the cell phones with camera, the freak is still on, but it’s getting less expressed to avoid getting damned as a retarded and primate person.

For the police two main reasons are making photography a real state enemy:
First, as those toys cam make videos, they have lately a useful tool to many people who started a propaganda videos, sex scenes or event took shocking videos who instantly spread over the web. Two stories are making sense to this : Two high school teacher shoot their self while making love, and the other is about a dancing policeman.
Secondly, the terrorism threat is making our national security more aware of … everybody, yes me and you and the guy pissing on the wall, as I’ve said before, we have no thought about art coming through photos, if you’re making a photo of the metro, you’re certainly getting ready to blow it, if you have take photos of an office, you’ll certainly come by night and steal its precious documents and if it’s not you, you’ll certainly send it to someone else, if ever you have no intention to any of those terrifying actions, someone in the web will use you photos as a material to harm our beloved republic. In one word, we don’t need your photos you can still make peaceful pencil drawings in a paper.

I have asked to colleagues graduated in law to find to make research and find me all about photography in the Tunisian law, the output will be published as soon as possible, and then I’ll get rid or may be of all this stupid behavior.

Finally, I just want to say , that I want make photos for fun, I don’t want to get nagged by a dirty bastard every time I tried to make an artistic photo,I don’t want to harm none, and I’d like to hear from your experiences and how do you faces such problems.

This is just a republish of an article I did write 2 years ago, since that things haven’t changed a lot.

As announced below, the Photo exposition gathering Manfred Ehrich & Claude Perez took start yesterday in El Teatro in the fever of the year of photo and I got you one word: Go there! have a look a splenedid set of works, amazing discoveryt of a ripped off art and magic:

- Manfred Ehrich works are a set of black and white composed in a dark room giving birth to harmonious shapes.

- Claude Perez is about photojournalism or documentary photo: a set of very old and rare takes all over the country with Jewish signature from Djerba, the best three photos he got were black and white portrait of the former president Bourguiba as my friend commented: “The godfather” that’s how they looked like.

The hall is fulled with more than 200 photos (350 TND each) and the photographers themselves are there, such rare opportunity is worth some walk downtown, don’t miss this exhibit.

MM. Mohamed El Aziz Ben Achour, Minister of Culture and the Preservation of Monuments, and Robert F. Godec, Ambassador of the United States of America in Tunisia, inaugurated yesterday evening at the National Library of Tunisia, a photo exhibition entitled”The architectural heritage of New York”, in the presence of men of culture and diplomats accredited to Tunis.

This exhibition is organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Preservation of Monuments and the National Cultural Committee, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America.

It is an exhibition, which includes about 80 black and white photos, framed and accompanied by captions that provide lighting cultural, historical and architectural on public and private buildings in New York City, restored during the 20th century by American and European architects.

The photographs were taken by some fifty known photographers or single students who have captured the spirit of New York.

These photos, it was Roosevelt””Birth Place, a national historic site, built in 1848 and expanded in 1916,””Central Park, the first large public park that combines beautifully of architectural and landscape features, Patrik””’s Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the United States,”and”Columbia University, the oldest college in New York State.

Included on the bill as”New York Exchange Building”or Wall Street, the first center of financial activity in New York,””Flatiron Building, a skyscraper, the most famous and eccentric that City and Manhattan Bridge Approach”or”the Manhattan Bridge established on the East River.

On this occasion, Mr. Ben Achour focused on the long relationships between Tunisia and the United States of America, especially in the cultural field, expressing his admiration for the rich cultural and architectural heritage of American cities, including New York.
For his part, Mr. Robert F. Godec welcomed the achievements made by Tunisia in all fields, noting that this event is in line with the fruitful cultural exchange between the two countries.

Via [La Presse]

More coverage coming soon as I go there.

Karim Ben Khelifa, born in 1972, is a self-taught photojournalist with dual Belgian/Tunisian nationality, based inbetween Paris and Sanaa in Yemen.
His work has been widely published in newspapers and magazines like Newsweek, Time Magazine, Stern, Le Monde 2, The New York Times Magazine and various Geo editions.
His photographs has been exhibited in solo shown in various countries, including photojournalism’s major annual showcase, Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan, France in 2004.
He was among the photographers selected for the World Press Foundation Masterclass in 2000.
Twice nominated for the War Correspondent award in Bayeux, he has traveled in more than 80 countries and has covered armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ex-Yugoslavia and Palestine.
His body of work focuses extensively on the Arab World and Islam.

He’s probably the most known and the most adventurous Tunisian photographer I know, his portfolio is a hard collection of misery all over Iraq (All along the conflicts since 1990), Somalia and Afghanistan, and even if he insists in the fact that he is not a war photographer, his fate is within the biggest conflicts of the time allowing him a handful of international prizes:

1999 – Nominated for Le prix Bayueyx for war correspondents – France.
2000 – Nikon prize in the international Photography contest – Belgium.
2000 – World press foundation masterclass – Netherlands.
2004 – Fuji film Young reporter award – France.
2004 – Nominated for Le prix Bayueyx for war correspondents – France.

His main formula is mysterious combination of more than 15 authentic reportages as:
- The two war on Iraq.
- USA after the 9/11.
- The war on Afghanistan.
- The conflicts in Somalia.
- Guantanamo detention camp.

A rising star that was qualified by:

Simon Barnett, Newsweek’s director of photography, applauds Khelifa for his ability to make great compositions from seemingly chaotic scenes. “He operates effortlessly in some very tough working conditions over there,” Barnett says, “yet, even in the face of danger, he is able to make consistently provocative and interesting pictures.”

[Karim Ben Khelifa Website]

Who is Slim Gomri?

…Born August 7, 1969, in Tunis, Gomri obtained a diploma in life and earth sciences and worked as a high school teacher in Tunis.

Involved in various projects from the beginning of his JCI career, Gomri became JCI Rades President in 1996…

Why is Gomri Involved in photography?

“My father was an amateur photographer,” says the past JCI Vice President. “As a child, I used to ‘play’ with his black and white pictures. Since then, I loved this ‘magical machine’ and started using it later. I also welcomed and adapted to the arrival of digital photography.”

Gomri considers photography a passion. “It’s a way to express thoughts, ideas, and opinions,” he says. “It’s a wonderful tool that lets you share unique and unforgettable moments, places and situations with others.”

He also considers photography a means to promote social progress. “Photography is a very powerful tool,” says Gomri. “As an intern in a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Washington, D.C., I was amazed to see projects involving youth and photography to deal with issues like corruption and conflict resolution.”

When asked for advice on how to succeed in photography, Gomri said, “There is no mystery with photography. Just like anything in life, to succeed you have to love what you’re doing and be yourself.”

Why the Exhibit in Washington, D.C.?

Gomri loves Tunisia. “I live in a nice country, small but diverse and full of colors and light,” he says. “I wanted to share this diversity with Americans, interest them in my country, and make them curious and willing to discover Tunisia. I will also try to deliver my view of my country to the visitors of the exhibition.”

“My humble goal is to contribute, through photography, to building cultural bridges and enhancing understanding and dialogue between citizens of the United States and Tunisia,” explains Gomri. “More dialogue and more exchanges remove fear, misunderstanding and seeds of conflicts, and contribute to a better world. I also hope to break many stereotypes on both sides and contribute to dialogue through photography.”

Via [JCI news]

[Slim Flickr Galleries]
[Slim Official site]

Bechi Manoubi was born in November 24,1930 in Tunis he started his career as boxer -He was even Tunisian Boxing champion in 1958- before becoming a sport photographer by 1960, he has been in the major world events as 10 world cups and 12 summer Olympic games and three Mohamed Ali boxing matches, he is believed to the be the most known photographer of Africa.

He used to wear a special clothing making him easily remarkable everywhere he went: the Mexican hat with a several Tunisian flogs and tens of cards covering both his jacket and hat he have been collecting. The whole thing wights 50 Kg that he owe him to get mentioned in the Guinness book. Unfortunately although his great works all along the 60 years of sport photojournalism, he was never rewarded nor locally nor outside the country.

In his testament, Bechir Manoubi asked that:
- Save his archives.
- His costume to be used.
- Keep on his mission thus Hosni ,his son, has taken the flame.

[Bechi Manoubi Official Webiste]
[Bechi Manoubi Official Galleries]

see also http://www.playphone.com

Neil, Semia, Imane, Sami and Inji A., by Tunisian photographer Jellel Gastelli,
who divides his life between France and Tunisia.

Born in 1958 in Tunisia, Jellel Gastelli graduated in 1985 from the Ecole Nationale de la Photographie in Paris, where he currently resides with his family. In 1984 he travelled back to Tunisia and began his White Series (Série Blanche) . In 1990 he travelled to Alexandria, Egypt as French Cultural Centre artist -in-residence. That same year Gastelli received grants from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from Kodak-Pathé, which allowed him to produce a photographic series on the city of Tangiers, Morocco and he published a book on this work in 1991.

Jellel describes his work as follows:

From time to time, ever since 1984, I have photographed the medium of Hammamet and the architecture of Djerba Islands mosques. I seek to capture the purity of the walls, covered with several coats of white-wash and to reduce buildings to their underlying cubic shapes. I inscribe in these images the sensations provoked by the tension between lines and surfaces saturated with light. Their multiple geometric combinations imperceptibly make their way toward abstraction. I play at replacing static prespective with dynamic flat surfaces. Although I was not aware of it when I began them, I realise now that in these very large prints, making up what I call the White Series (Série Blanche) I endeavoured to capture the intense pure spirit of place that I associate with my Tunisian childhood.

Jellel Gastelli’s Séries Blache has been exhibited at the Guggenheim as well as being part of their permanent collection in New York.

Unfortunately there was few about Jellel Gastli, and he doesn’t have a dedicated portfolio or website.

Via [Micheal Open Gallery]

Newly discovered creature…

( certaines parties de cet enregistrement risquent de heurter la sensibilité auditive de certains ( grincements, oubli de paroles et étouffements sont au rendez vous:D).

Les critiques sont les bienvenues ( bien que je les connais dejà, ), mais les réclamations de dédommagements…VADE RETRO SATANAS ( je suis même pas assurée pour les éventuels dégâts )

Enjoy!!! (or not!)

imen posted a photo: