About

Responding to Jaou Tunis’ mission for transnational solidarity and critical reflection challenging established narratives, this 2.5-hour workshop is conceived as an intimate, collaborative laboratory for a maximum of 12 participants to collectively rethink photographic languages as living communication forms in photography.

Drawing from Der Greif’s exploration of collective interpretation and remix image culture, alongside Der Greif's editor Ilaria Sponda’s research into post-national and transnational image ecosystems, the workshop invites participants to decenter dominant visual regimes through the framework of minor photography.

Rooted in the concept of minor literatures coined by Deleueze and Guattari (1975), a minor photography does not seek to master the "high language" of institutional or commercial image-making. Instead, it deliberately uses the photographic medium from the margins, stuttering, fragmenting, and remixing existing visual landscapes to give voice to collective, transnational experiences that major narratives erase. Minor photography is about examining matters of national identity beyond liberal or nationalist identitarian scripts and rethinking national identities outside self-colonizing narratives. Minor languages preserve the attachment of aesthetics to culture.

Participants will bring their own digital or physical projects as open-source vocabulary to prompt discussions from. Through hands-on exercises in collective editing, juxtaposition, and contextual shifting, we will treat the photographic frame as a site of political urgency. Together, we will ask: How can we stutter in the language of the image? How can a remix become a tool for cross-border solidarity? By the end of the session, the group will have co-authored a curated collective storytelling.

Important note before submitting to the open call

Please note that as a participant, you must already be in Tunis on October 26, 2026 to apply, as we can not compensate for travel or accommodation costs.

Collaborative Workshop

The core of the workshop comes from the foundations of Der Greif and focuses on deconstructing images in a group setting. Selected participants (12 artists chosen via the open call) convene for a structured intensive built around reading images together, out loud, as a curatorial act.

The power of co-editing and collective curation lies in the transformation of a solitary image into a dynamic dialogue, shifting the focus from what a photograph is to what it does within a specific environment. When images are curated collectively, they are stripped of their singular, fixed intent and recontextualized through a shared lens, revealing how meaning is not inherent but fluid. This collaborative friction exposes the "connective tissue" between disparate works, demonstrating that an image's communicative power is entirely dependent on its neighbor and its stage. In this space, editing becomes an act of social translation; it proves that by reordering the visual sequence, we can amplify hidden narratives and challenge the viewer's perception, turning a passive viewing experience into an active investigation of how context dictates truth.

The time is organised around collective reading sessions where participants present work (their own or others') and the group practises the discipline of slow, shared interpretation. From these sessions, the group collaboratively begins building connections, sequences, and tensions between the submitted works.

About Der Greif

Der Greif is an award-winning organization for contemporary photography.

We unite diverse voices in the arts, providing a vital platform for talent at early stages in their career. Through monthly grants, a vibrant community, and increasing visibility, we create a springboard for emerging artists, image makers, and photographers, guiding their path into the art world.

Our initiatives are uniquely rooted in crowdsourcing. This consistent approach enables genuine participation for young artists who often lack the resources to join competitions, festivals, and exhibitions or to travel and expand their network.

With our accessible formats and global network, we're democratizing the art world. Our collaborators - guest curators, grant recipients, and featured artists - are among contemporary photography's most significant voices.

Since issue No. 10, Der Greif's annual print edition has been guest-edited by leading contemporary artists, including Jason Fulford, Broomberg & Chanarin, Penelope Umbrico, Sylvie Fleury, Shirin Neshat, Torbjørn Rødland, and Hank Willis Thomas.

The first ten issues always featured poetry next to photographic images.

Der Greif collaborates with renowned cultural institutions worldwide, realizing projects with C/O Berlin, Pinakothek der Moderne, Haus der Kunst, Münchner Kammerspiele, FOAM, the Aperture Foundation, Fotomuseum Winterthur, and many others.

About Jaou Tunis

Jaou Tunis is a biennale of contemporary art that fosters dialogue, transnational solidarity, and critical reflection, challenging established narratives. For one month, Tunis becomes a vibrant cultural hub, hosting exhibitions, performances, and discussions that unite local and international voices. 

Founded by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation in 2013, the biennale goes beyond a traditional arts event, offering a stage where ideas, cultures, and aspirations converge toward a solidarity-driven future. It has since grown into a platform bringing together artists and thinkers from Tunisia, the Global South, and beyond. 

Jaou Tunis celebrates cultural métissage and the transformative power of art to connect communities and inspire meaningful reflection.