The Soft Layer

This performance is a continuation of The Soft Layer (Tunis), a site-specific project that took place from 2017 to 2019 in the historic Dar Bairam Turki building in the Medina of Tunis, as part of the Dream City Biennial. Over the course of several years, artist and scenographer Jozef Wouters collected stories and ideas among the residents of Dar Bairam Turki. In the building’s courtyard, a group was formed, consisting of young architects, neighbors, actors and a science fiction writer. Together, they began the ‘renovation’ of the beautiful Ottoman palace from the 17th century. This was no typical renovation: rather than remove layers, they added a new one, coating the building with a veneer of collective memories, stories and opinions.

Text: Jozef Wouters, edited by Jeroen Peeters
Brussels cast: Youri Dirkx, Leila Benchorf, John Niyibizi, Cecilia Kankonda

The Soft Layer Tunis was partly created during rehearsals by Fatma Ben Saïdane, Amira Chebli, Hichem Chebli and Vladimir Miller and produced by Dream City Tunis, L’Art Rue, Damaged Goods in coproduction with Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER

De reenactment is produced by Damaged Goods, in cooperation with KANAL-Centre Pompidou and Molenbeek for Brussels 2030

This show will also be performed on 19 September