Many of the Sudan’s old colonial buildings have fallen victim to wider economic development or lack of a preservation campaign. Frédérique Cifuentes undertook photographic and filmic research in Sudan from 2004 to 2010, to document the remnants of the colonial experience in Sudan from the Ottoman, Egyptian and British periods, before it vanishes completely. The resulting photographs and film provide an illustrated history of what is a unique cultural landscape.

The materials collected during these journeys, and from Durham University’s Sudan Archive, were used for a touring exhibition in the UK and Sudan. This collection offers 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, highlights colonial architecture, design and construction, and the impact they had on Sudanese society before and after Independence in 1956. This helps us understand the ways in which people appropriated and used the buildings.

Frédérique’s film from this research is available to view here.