Ambassador Blome at the Unveiling Ceremony of the 1001 Hands Mural at the Ibn Rachiq Cultural Center

Ambassador Blome participated in the unveiling ceremony of “A Thousand and One Hands.”  It is a ceramic mural on the side of the “Ibn Rachiq” Cultural Center in downtown Tunis.  This large mural is composed of 1024 individual tiles created by 600 Tunisians across the country, and was partly financed by the American Embassy and the Swiss Embassy in support of Tunisia’s encouragement of youth artistic creativity.   The concept and project were from American-Swiss artist Anne Francey.

Ambassador Blome to the Local Press

I am delighted to see this mural – the work of 600 Tunisians and an accomplished American artist – as a permanent symbol of American-Tunisian friendship in downtown Tunis.

The U.S. Embassy is proud to support a wide range of cultural initiatives across Tunisia.  Every year the Embassy brings American artists here to collaborate with Tunisian painters, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, and others.  We also have an excellent relationship with the Ministry of Culture on cultural heritage protection.

Tunisia is a country rich in culture and artistic traditions, and American consumers are big fans.  With Embassy assistance, Tunisian artisans made the U.S. the number one export market for their goods last year.