In 2014, the small village of Er-Riadh on the island of Djerba in Tunisia gained a reputation for being a haven for artists and art lovers alike. After getting permission from the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism, the Major of Djerba, and every single home and building owner in the town, Parisian gallery owner Mehdi Ben Cheikh put out a call for street artists. His idea was to transform the ancient village using murals and public art. A cadre of 150 carefully-chosen street artists from more than 30 countries across the world descended upon the village to decorate its walls with their work.
The project was ambitious, but it truly paid off. The artists came in shifts, and the town’s residents graciously opened their homes and their hearts to them. For the first time in many years, the village was hopping with activity, and the residents and artists learned the stories of the people they met and shared their own. In the end, the town was reborn. Yes, it was still an authentic and historic place, home to countless generations of Tunisians, but it had also become a public art project that was ready to welcome visitors from everywhere.
You can learn all about the Djerbahood project on their website and on Instagram and Facebook.
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My OBT 
September 28, 2020 at 8:34 am
These are wonderful! I think it is such a treat to be driving somewhere and see murals where you least expect them. Hurray for these townspeople for welcoming such brilliance. The cowboy on the donkey reminded me of a Clint Eastwood movie. Great OBT, Donna!
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September 28, 2020 at 9:56 am
Thank you! We have been to a few towns that had a murals district, and they always fill me with joy and excitement. But I never would have thought of such an ancient town in such a conservative place hosting such modern art. Wonderful!
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September 28, 2020 at 9:01 am
Wonder how they decide what goes where ?
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September 28, 2020 at 9:57 am
I can’t imagine. Maybe they assigned the space to the artist and let them decide what to put there.
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September 28, 2020 at 9:13 am
I wish more cities would do this. There was a couple of artist in Memphis TN, USA that did a few in the downtown area. I enjoyed them. Hal
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September 28, 2020 at 9:58 am
We saw those! There’s a neighborhood in (or near?) Miami that has an amazing collection of murals, and it’s really fascinating.
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September 28, 2020 at 9:29 am
What a wonderful idea! I would love to go ther and walk among the beauty and have my soul refreshed, especially when the virus has a vaccine and we can travel again.
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September 28, 2020 at 9:59 am
Yes! I wonder how all the destinations that relied upon tourism to support their economy are doing. I can’t wait to again be able to spin the globe, pick a destination and go!
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September 28, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Wonderful. I love street art and I like this idea of the town becoming an open air art gallery showcasing the work of a wide variety of artists.
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September 28, 2020 at 9:33 pm
I do, too! If our virtual gallery had an outside, I would love for it to be covered in street art!
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September 29, 2020 at 6:25 am
Yes. Let’s do that. After all, our virtual gallery could be housed in an entire city block.
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September 29, 2020 at 9:12 am
At the very least!
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