Disappearing heritage of Sudan 1820 - 1956: A photographic and filmic research exhibition by Frederique Cifuentes

Frederique Cifuentes undertook photographic and filmic research in Sudan from 2004 to 2010. One of the most important outcomes of this journey was to build up a new and unique collection of photographs and videos that documents the remnants of the colonial experience in Sudan from the Ottoman, Egyptian, and British periods. All the materials taken during these journeys will be used for the exhibition. It will offer a different way of looking at imperial history.

This photographic and video project is an exploration of the mechanics of empires through its official buildings, private residencies, cinema houses, railways, irrigation canals, and bridges. This research, the only one of its kind, will highlight colonial architecture, design and construction and the impact they had on Sudanese society before and after Independence in 1956. It will help us understand the ways in which people appropriated and used the buildings.

The exhibition will be comprised of materials created by Frederique Cifuentes and from Durham University's Sudan Archive. Many of the country’s old buildings have fallen victim to wider economic development or lack of a preservation campaign. This study will show different aspects and forms of the rich colonial architectural heritage in Sudan before it vanishes completely. This is an illustrated history of a unique cultural landscape.

The exhibition will also be shown at the Oriental Museum in Durham, January - May 2013, after which the photographic collection will be donated to the University of Khartoum, Sudan.