eL Seed: from the beating heart of Tunisia

An upcoming film documents an extraordinary project involving a delayed shipment of paint, a dedicated filmmaking team, a minaret and a lot of heart. Artist eL Seed speaks to Amal Awad about Tacapes, his journey, and the many hurdles he overcame to complete the project.

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He’s famous for an art form known as calligraffiti, a mixture of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti. His works cover walls around the world. But the opportunity to paint the minaret of Jara mosque in Gabes, his hometown, presented him with a truly unique canvas.

So it’s only natural that eL Seed, aided by a team of filmmakers, opted to document what turned out to be a challenging artistic endeavour. The result is Tacapes, a documentary film set for release in May 2013. Welcoming us to his world of calligraffiti, eL Seed shares his insight into his creative struggles, processes and triumphs.

Amal Awad: Tell me about Tacapes. How did it come about and what does it mean to you?

eL Seed: Tacapes is the culmination of a summer of intense work and tells the story of the journey that I went through to complete one of the toughest projects I’ve undertaken. The documentary shows the behind-the-scenes of how the project was organised, the major problems I faced and the realities of conducting such large-scale cultural projects in post-Ben Ali Tunisia.

Tacapes means a lot to me, both professionally and personally, as I invested so much in the project. The documentary speaks about everything around this project; why Gabes, why the South, how is Tunisia moving forward after dictatorship, how is Tunisian society reacting to new cultural projects, and also about the highly contentious issue of people still being stuck in the ‘fill my own pocket’ mentality that was so rife during the Ben Ali regime.

You say that the film is about a project that almost failed. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?

The project almost failed on so many levels, with regards to the funding, the organisation behind the entire project, the actual wall – many administrative and creative hurdles, along with some surprising twists from people who were supposedly invested in the project. You will have to watch it to witness the process and how each problem was overcome!

In terms of personal struggle, how did this project help you overcome it?

My personal struggle was very much artistic and creative. This project helped me to realise that gut instincts are imperative as an artist and you should stick to your original creativity; not what others try to impose on you. It also tested my endurance on a physical level and my ability to persevere through the darkness.

Is your work spiritual to you?

On many levels, yes, because as an artist I receive my inspiration from sources that I do not control. However, my art is not intentionally spiritual or religious in terms of its message.

Do you think about the receiver of your art when you create?

I think about the community in which I am painting, yes. I try to tailor the message to the community I am working in or with, so that I can combine a universal truth with a local experience. That said, I do not try to simply please viewers; I take on all reactions to my work whether they be positive, negative or neutral.

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What would you like audiences to take away from this film?

To persevere and struggle through difficulties. If you believe in something you are doing and you sincerely do it for the benefit of others, your community, your country, then hang on to that altruism no matter the criticism from others who try to bring you down.

What was the most rewarding part of making this film?

I discovered a team of filmmakers that I now trust very much, and they have helped me in numerous ways. The most rewarding part I think is being able to shine some light on what is happening in my hometown of Gabes; a city that is often overlooked for many reasons, but that is in actual fact the beating heart of Tunisia.

What did it mean to you to do your work on the minaret of Jara mosque?

It was a daunting task! Painting on a space that people consider spiritual and holy really put the pressure on. My reactions were definitely mixed; a bit of apprehension, excitement, fear, and of course I felt very honoured. In the end I was happy to have been able to show supposedly warring factions (secular artists and so-called hardline Islamists) that you can reconcile art and religion; that there is no conflict between the two.

Watch the Tacapes trailer:

Discover more at www.elseed-art.com

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