"...Subverting narratives on the idea of captivity and the effects of power and authority over freedom..."
Biographies
Ala Eddine Slim
(b. 1982, Tunisia)
Ala Eddine Slim, born in Sousse, Tunisia in 1982, is an independent filmmaker working in the worlds of documentary, short film and video art. He studied Cinema at the ISAMM (Superior Institute of Multimedia Arts in Mannouba). In 2005, he co-founded the film production company EXIT PRODUCTIONS.
Participating in several workshops in Tunisia and abroad, Ala Eddine Slim produced several short and medium-length films in a variety of categories. He has produced more than 14 films, and has directed 3 feature films: “The Fall”, “One Night Among The Others”, “The Stadium”, as well as co-directed a feature-length documentary, “Babylon”.
In addition to his cinematographic works, Slim has collaborated with several Tunisian videographers and visual artists and has produced two series of video art: "Diary of an Important Man" and "Diary of an Important Woman".
Ala Eddine Slim's works have been screened at several festivals, events, galleries, art centers around the world, including: Clermont-Ferrand, FID Marseille, Doclisboa, MoMA New York, MAC Marseille, Mucem Marseille, Center Pompidou, Tabakalera, amongst others.
The series "Diary of an Important Man" was exhibited at the George Pomidou Center in 2011 and published on DVD in the IN / FLUX 3 series by the French label Lowave.
In 2016, Slim directed his first feature film, "The Last of Us", which he describes as “a continuity of [my] research into themes that are of importance to me: the problems of borders, imaginary territories, contemporary solitude, vagrancy, the issues of crossing and of the human nature in all its facets.” The film made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Critics' Week section, and was awarded with the Lion of the Future Award (Best First Work of all sections), as well as the prize of the Best Technical Contribution. At the CGC 2016, the film won three prizes, including the Tanit d'Or for Best First Work. The film continues to circulate throughout the world. He lives and works.
Maher Habib Gnaoui
(b. 1987, Tunisia)
Born in 1987 in Gabes, Tunisia. Maher Habib Gnaoui completed a Masters in Arts and Crafts specializing in Sculpture at “Institut Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Tunis (ISBAT)” in 2011.
Maher’s works are immersed in the universe of urban art whose practices are realized mainly on the walls, buildings, and other structures in the street outside. The same techniques such as stencils, wall collages, bomb paint, etc. are reused by the artist on common objects. By this practice, Maher modifies the appearance of the object, its image and not its function; he ‘tattoos’ the surface of the object. Maher practices street-art on the walls, but also a kind of "home-art" on the usual objects. For him, it is not about changing the nature of the object, but changing its overall image, with the ‘tattoo’ on the objects’ skin. Art goes out into the street, Maher brings the art of the street back into the house.
For years, Maher, sometimes with friends and fellow artists, drew, painted, scribbled, tagged, on the doors of a certain wooden cabinet bequeathed by his grandmother, until an image finally emerged.
His recent work has taken a new direction, exploiting new materials, combining metal with concrete, and introduces into his works external elements.
His work has been exhibited at the National Center of Living Art (Tunis), the Galerie Talmart (Paris), the B'Chria Art Center (Tunis) and Gallery A.Gorgi (Tunis). He lives and works in Tunis.
