INTERVIEW Lena Schnurrbusch
PUBLISHED 5 AUG 26
Olfa Trabelsi explores the evolving relationship between craftsmanship, design, and cultural heritage through her work as a designer, curator, and consultant based in Tunis. Collaborating with local artisans for more than fifteen years, she works with natural materials and traditional techniques to highlight the knowledge, stories, and gestures embedded in handmade objects.
// What is your artistic background, and how does it influence the way you approach art?
I am a designer and have been working with Tunisian artisans for more than fifteen years. My practice lies at the intersection of contemporary design, traditional craftsmanship, and living heritage. I approach every project as a collaboration, where the gestures, materials, and stories of the people who create them are just as important as the final object. My role is to build bridges between heritage and contemporary creation.
// What is your favorite medium/technique/material to create art?
I don’t have a single favorite medium. I am drawn to natural materials and the traditional knowledge associated with them: palm fiber, ceramics, textiles, leather, and embroidery. Every project begins with an encounter between a material, a technique, and the people who master it.
// What does entanglement mean to you?
To me, entanglement is first and foremost about relationships. It is the way people, places, memories, and craft traditions meet, connect, and transform one another. It also means embracing creation as a collective process, where every contribution enriches the whole without erasing the individuality of each part.
// What is your contribution to SEE DJERBA 2026, and how is it connected to this year’s theme, Akros?
At SEE DJERBA 2026, I present Suspended Heritage, an installation composed of suspended elements inspired by an everyday object, reinterpreted through a collaborative process with Tunisian artisans. The installation creates a landscape where each element exists individually while belonging to a larger whole. This directly echoes Akros: the invisible connections that unite people, craftsmanship, territories, and generations.
// What do you hope visitors experience when they encounter your work?
I hope visitors take the time to slow down, look up, and notice the details. I would like them to discover the richness of traditional craftsmanship through a fresh perspective and to feel that behind every object lie human stories, inherited gestures, and a living heritage.
// What are you most curious about at the moment, and how do different topics affect future projects?
I am particularly curious about new forms of collaboration between craftsmanship, design, contemporary art, and technology. I am also interested in how traditional practices can respond to today’s challenges without losing their identity. These questions shape every project I undertake and encourage me to imagine new ways of celebrating and promoting traditional craftsmanship.