October 22–29, 2011

Every year the students of the Master Photography course at AKV St. Joost make a study trip. We use this trip to learn more about people, countries, political realities, and about how to reflect on and visualize this knowledge in photography. The students prepare projects they want to accomplish during the trip and find a way of completing their work within a week. This year we felt a strong urge to learn more about the recent developments in the Arab world and more particularly in Tunisia. We decided to visit Tunis during the week of the first election after the revolution of January 14th 2011. It was exciting to share this special moment in Tunisian history with the people we got to know, who shared their hopes and stories with us, with whom we had discussions and who helped us so generously. Many students engaged in work with political themes. A small group was drawn to the extraordinary landscapes of the south where they made unexpected discoveries.

We made a publication which is a representation of the extensive work the students and teachers did during this week. It can be seen as a newspaper, but it can also be unfolded into an exhibition that is easy to transport and install. On january 14th, the date of the first year of the revolution, we went back to Tunisia to bring this newspaper to the Tunisian people. The newspaper was presented during the opening of the World Press Photo exhibition at Cherif Fine Art gallery in Sidi Bou Said and besides this presentation we went to the center of the festivities in Tunisia, Boulevard Habib Bourghiba to give out the newspaper to people there.

There also is a website that shows more of the works made, and moreover shows the many projects with moving images that took place during our stay in Tunisia. http://www.atlab.nl/welcometotunesia/lana.html