Villa Abd-el-Tif, Moorish villa in Algiers, Algeria.
Villa Abd-el-Tif is a villa in Algiers set on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its facade features intricate tilework and carved stucco ornaments following traditional Moorish design.
The building was founded in 1907 as an Algerian counterpart to Rome's Villa Medici and offered residency to artists who won art prizes. Its role changed after Algeria gained independence in 1962.
The villa provided a two-year residence program for selected artists, who organized their activities independently without supervision from a permanent French director.
The building underwent major restoration work and now serves as an administrative center, so access may be limited to certain areas or times. The hilltop location means you will need to walk uphill to reach it.
The residence program here operated on a model where selected artists worked freely without a permanent director overseeing their activities. This approach later influenced other artistic residency programs elsewhere.
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