Collective Exhibition at Galerie Aïn: A Journey Through Time and Identity
La Presse — A collective exhibition is currently being held at Galerie Aïn, which is celebrating its 39th anniversary, until October 31, 2025. The exhibition brings together eight visual artists from different generations, tracing the period between the 1960s and 2000, and the evolution that occurred during this time. The exhibition is characterized by themes that deal with the urban environment and essentially the daily life of the Medina.
Identity and Artistic Expression
The question of identity is strongly ingrained in this generation of painters. Among the 37 works exhibited, only the form changes, while the subject remains roughly the same. The style has evolved from pure realism to semi-abstract and then to abstract, with touches, lines, and points composing certain paintings. Mokhtar Hnene, with "Fleuriste" and "Bedouine," has remained faithful to his realistic approach in terms of composition and colors.
Contemporary Approaches
Artists like Bady Chouchene and Rached Chtioui have a contemporary approach. Chouchene's expressionist approach is evident in his paintings "Reflet" and "Souk Edheb," which create a beautiful harmony through their touches and colors. The theme remains common, recurrent, and even obsessive in the exhibited works, but the technique and the artist's perspective change. Therefore, the meaning of the work lies less in the subject than in the form.
The Evolution of Artistic Techniques
The relationship with reality allows for a change in attitude. Figurative and abstract techniques have undergone undeniable evolution in the history of art. Tunisian artists are connected to these mutations, resonating with different artistic currents around the world. Their choice is not deliberate or assumed; it is part of a global movement. Thus, objects no longer have the same meaning, and their contours are no longer the same. Artists like Rached Chetioui and Renata Dlimi go beyond the visible to reach the soul of the represented subject, moving from reality to metaphor, from primary meaning to allegorical meaning.
Uncovering Hidden Meanings
There is a kind of "archaeology" where the artist digs deeper to go beyond the represented object and uncover the hidden meaning. Some works, such as those by Mokhtar Hnene, Ali Fakhet, and Zohra Largueche, represent an immobile universe where reality is mastered or frozen, while others, like Bady Chouchene's, are in a medium stage. Rached Chetioui's use of points, lines, and touches in his painting transports us to a synthesized abstract world. However, in all these works, it is always a question of heritage. The visual arts remain a marker of time and generation. This is an exhibition worth seeing.
