The canvas carries an impression taken from an external wall of the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism. The ministry is located near Habib Bourguiba Avenue, an area in Tunis where most of the protests that led to the fall of Ben Ali’s regime were held. The summer following the revolution saw considerable declines in tourism to Tunisia—a country where tourism is ten percent of the national income. This economic dependence on mass tourism, especially at a time when the country was in most need of financial support, has entrapped those depending on it.
Interestingly, despite all the protests and riots, the wall suffered no damage and, unlike other surrounding walls, was not defaced with graffiti. A symbol of the steadfastness of institutions and the frameworks within which they operate, this wall has survived the passage of time, remaining unchanged and unchallenged despite political and social changes around it.
The small window at the extreme left of the work creates an atmosphere of unease: positioned too high to look out of or look into, and shielded with iron grating, it is like a prison cell.
– Asmaa Al-Shabibi
