Open Studio: Fredj Moussa's "Barbary" Project at Le 32bis in Tunis
From February 14 to 20, 2025, the Le 32bis space in Tunis will host an open studio by artist and filmmaker Fredj Moussa, who has been in residence since January 6. He will present the outcome of his research-creation project "Barbary", a plastic and cinematographic exploration that combines cinema and sculpture to address the issue of representation through the prism of myth.
Moussa's costumes, made from naturally dyed fabrics, offer a new interpretation and deconstruct Western literature, which has long been used to shape the perception of the Maghreb and its historical appellation of "Barbary". This project revisits figures and motifs from Western literature that have contributed to the fantasized vision of the region, while reinvesting traditional forms of narration. "Barbary" thus invites reflection on the role of cinema in shaping our gaze.
A graduate of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs de Paris (2018) and former resident of the Fresnoy-Studio national des arts contemporains in Tourcoing (2021-2023) and the Villa Médicis in Rome (2024), Fredj Moussa creates works that combine films and sculptures serving as both costumes and sets. His works have been exhibited during events such as La Nuit Blanche in Paris and in galleries in the United States, Turkey, Belgium, Spain, and his films have been selected in international festivals. A finalist for the Studio Collector Prize at the Festival Photo Days at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris in 2022, he received the CIFRA Prize at Loop Fair in Barcelona in 2023.
