L'atelier

Established in 2021, L’Atelier by Selma Feriani is an extension of the mission of Selma Feriani Gallery, offering a supportive platform for both local and international artists to engage in research, experimentation, and production. Located in Bhar Lazrag, a popular neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Tunis near La Marsa, the program fosters a unique exchange between local and global artistic practices, hosting four extended residencies per year and activating the space through ongoing cultural programming that supports sustained research, experimentation, and cultural activities.

Our program supports

Mid-career artists with well-established studio practices who are developing a new body of work, research, or exhibition project.
Emerging Tunisian artists who are specifically transitioning between projects with clearly defined intentions, by providing the space and resources needed to develop their practice with critical reflection.
International artists with practices rooted in the Global South, who are encouraged to engage with the local context and narratives.

In 2026, L’Atelier is expanding its residency framework by welcoming one mid-career African curator in residence, supporting research-led curatorial practice and engagement with local artists and institutions. At least one Tunisian artist is invited each year, and we particularly value the participation of artists from the diaspora, especially those exhibiting in Tunisia for the first time. The residency, which spans from six weeks to two months, culminates in an open studio where artists present the outcomes of their research, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with the work and artist directly. Additionally, residents may be invited to further develop a project in the gallery’s mezzanine space, extending the trajectory of their work into a more public exhibition format.

L’Atelier is envisioned as a laboratory for reflection, where a community of artists, curators, and thinkers can meet, collaborate, and generate long-term conversations. With a focus on a variety of disciplines, L’Atelier by Selma Feriani supports rigorous artistic processes and creates a space that bridges regional practices and international discourses.

NEWS

Collaboration with Nafas and Brave Projects

L’Atelier by Selma Feriani is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Nafas and Brave Projects, bringing together our shared commitment to supporting artistic exchange across cultural and geographical contexts.

This collaborative residency is welcoming two international artists to Tunisia; Tasneem Sarkez & Nina Kintsurashvili. Through engagement with local histories, landscapes, communities, and cultural practices, the program aims to create conditions for meaningful exchange while fostering new forms of artistic inquiry and connection.

By joining forces, Nafas, L’Atelier by Selma Feriani, and Brave Projects seek to build a platform rooted in openness, collaboration, and curiosity. This collaboration expands the residency into a wider space of experimentation, reflection, and artistic exchange, ensuring that the evolving practices of participating artists are fully supported and realised through sustained engagement with context, process, and dialogue.