Tunis — The 2008 Grand Prize for plastic arts of the City of Tunis was awarded this year to the young sculptor, Mehrez Ellouze for his work dubbed "The enigma of Peace", a marble sculpture which has retained the jury's attention for the breadth of its magnitude and its artistic scope.

The award ceremony which was chaired by the Tunis Mayor, Mr Abbes Mohsen took place on Thursday at the Kheireddine Palace in Tunis , in the presence of several artists and men of culture.

The ceremony is also set to coincide with the exhibit entitled 'I and the other' which is organized by the union of Tunisian plastic artists from February 22 to March 30, 2008 simultaneously at the Kheireddine Palace and the Belvedere Art Hall.

This annual exhibit which has witnessed the participation of 130 artist-painters from all artistic trends and generations provides the visitor with a dazzling display of oil, acrylic and aquarelle paintings in addition to sculptures and other set pieces.

In his address, Mr Mohsen, stressed the importance President Ben Ali grants to the sector of culture and the role of artists, and invited the Union to further contribute to Tunisia 's prestigious cultural scene.