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Joint interview Olfa Terras Rambourg and Ridha Moumni
A unique project was born out of a personal encounter: the exhibition“ The awakening of a nation“ at the Palais Qsar Es-Said. On this occasion, we met Olfa Terras Rambourg and Ridha Moumni, two strong and passionate characters who managed to make this dream come true for all Tunisians.
LG: Tell us about your backgrounds.
OTR: I was born and grew up in Bizerte. Then I studied at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Tunis where I got a master’ s degree in banking management. Right after that, I went to London to work in finance, in the European derivatives markets. I lived in England for 15 years and now I live between Paris and Tunis. I have 5 kids and I went back to school a few years ago, at the Sorbonne, to obtain a diploma in public law. I now focus on the Foundation and its actions in Tunisia.
RM: After I graduated from high school, I studied art history and archaeology at Paris IV-Sorbonne University where I received my doctorate. Then, I was lucky enough to be selected as a resident at the Villa Medicis( French Academy in Rome), before I won a research award at the National Institute of art history in Paris and entered the CNRS at Aix-Marseille University for a postdoctoral position. After that I travelled and came back to Tunis to work on different projects and for more than a year, I have been entirely dedicated to“ The awakening of a nation“ exhibition.
LG: What are the words that best define you as a person? OTR: Self-confident, optimistic, serious. RM: Curious, rigorous, honest and passionate.
LG: Tell us about the Rambourg Foundation.
OTR: The Rambourg Foundation was created by my husband Guillaume and myself in 2011. Its mission is to enhance the value of education and promote art and culture in Tunisia. In my opinion, it is a way of serving the country, since education is the key to success in Tunisia. It gives hope to young artists.
RM: I can’ t separate the Rambourg Foundation from its founders, Olfa and her husband Guillaume, whom I nowadays consider as friends. Their actions are good, they constantly care about the common good. It took a lot of courage and means to get started with this exhibition that presented many obstacles. I never felt that they were hesitating. On the contrary, I only sensed determination and firm will to achieve great actions leading to the wellbeing of each Tunisian. I have not met such generous and selfless people very often. Personally, the Foundation gave me the opportunity to work on this exciting exhibition and I will always be grateful for that.
LG: You have recently inaugurated“ The awakening of a nation“ at the Palais Qsar Es-Said, how did this initiative come about?
OTR: This initiative was born from an encounter with Ridha Moumni, the exhibition’ s commissioner, and from the discovery of the enchanting Palais Qsar Es-Said, an abandoned site with a hidden history that we wanted to make accessible to all Tunisians.
RM: It was born from my encounter with Olfa Rambourg who wished to create an important cultural event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Independence.
LG: A few words to describe the exhibition. OTR: Unprecedented, moving, necessary.
RM: It’ s an exhibition that combines art and history, during one of the richest and most complicated periods in the history of Tunisia. It’ s an exhibition that presents exceptional archive pieces, such as the Constitution of 1861, first constitution in the Arab and Muslim world, the Decree abolishing slavery( 1846), the Fundamental Pact, but also unique art objects such as historical paintings, drawings, furniture, beautiful period costumes, weaponry and an unseen before Goblins wallpaper. It’ s the opportunity to discover a Tunisian, European and Ottoman material culture of the 18th and 19th centuries.
LG: What means and aid were implemented in order to achieve this project?
OTR: The Foundation has provided all financial and logistical means to carry out this project successfully in collaboration with the National Heritage Institute( INP) and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It is the first public-private partnership relating to this kind of heritage in Tunisia. We want to thank everyone from the INP and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs who collaborated on this project as well as our official partner, the STB, for its generous contribution and trust. We also want to thank lending institutions: the National Library, the National Archives, the Bardo Museum, the Lella Hadria Museum in Djerba and the Alcazar Library in Marseille. This project is proof that we are able, in Tunisia, to accomplish great things with men and women of good will.
RM: Important means were implemented to reach an objective of excellence. For the restoration of the paintings, we called on the services of the Arcanes company, responsible for the restoration of the Galerie des Glaces at the Château de Versailles and the Galerie d’ Apollon at the Musée
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