Djerbahood, the capital of street art

Where does the name Djerbahood come from? Originally, the little village of Erriadh was called Hara Sghira, literally 'little neighbourhood' in Arabic. The artist Rodolphe Cintorino created an installation at the entrance indicating "the hood", and the expression was used to describe the lively creative activity in the village. The name is a reference to its original name, "the little neighbourhood". That's why the organisers decided to call the event Djerbahood when it opened in 2014, spearheaded by Parisian gallery owner Mehdi Ben Cheikh. The artists insist on sharing, whether it's the moments they've shared by exchanging with the locals, painting joint frescoes, or meeting other creators. One of them, El Seed, takes up residence in a square and strikes up a conversation with the villagers. They will give their words to the man, who will interpret them beautifully. Another, who works in the evening, meets the children playing along the way. Some homeowners who were sceptical when the project was announced will be convinced by the neighbour's decor and will ask for their walls to be painted too. The village's former abattoir became a playground for artists, who needed no authorisation to take pictorial control of the ruined space. Over 4,500 cans of paint were used! Following its success in 2014, Djerbahood returns in 2022.

Sometimes in the art world there are beautiful projects that combine the old and the new, everyday life and the dream world, the aesthetic and the practical. Djerbahood is one of those: when a phrase on a wall reflects the soul of the locals, when a face with big, insistent eyes surprises you at the bend in an alleyway, when an explosion of colour beckons you to the other end of town... Officially completed in September 2014, the project has never ceased to attract aesthetes and the curious. Tunisians and foreign tourists have flocked to the passages of Erriadh to admire the works, which are doomed to disappear. They are indeed condemned to deteriorate with time, weather and temperature, but the new life breathed into the place thanks to this event has not finished having an effect in this open-air museum. The idea of taking over the village was developed by gallery owner Mehdi Ben Cheikh, founder of the Itinerrance gallery that created the Tour Paris 13. The master of the ephemeral organised this exhibition, which is in principle public and free, with the aim of "offering the artists a unique canvas". The artists were assisted by local craftsmen who supplied them with the materials they needed. The styles and techniques are mixed, accompanied or opposed, but the result is superb. The gallery owner is convinced of one thing: "culture is the best weapon against obscurantism".

Light years away from the frenetic hustle and bustle of the coastal hotel clubs, Dar Dhiafa is to Tunisia what the riad is to Morocco. But while this type of accommodation is common in Marrakech, it is still rare and confidential in Djerba. Nestling inland in the charming village of Erriadh, close to the famous Ghriba synagogue, this charming hotel is housed in several old traditional houses. You're in the heart of Djerbahood!