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Bait Al Turath Cultural Center, Khartoum 2, Source: Twitter
While composing this article and gathering the relevant information, I received an image of Bait Al-Turath (The Heritage House) being tragically destroyed. This act of violence, stemming from the ongoing armed conflict, not only diminishes Sudan's valuable artistic heritage but also seeks to erase the cultural identity of the country and deprive communities of their heritage. The establishment housed significant artworks by well-known figures like Hassan Musa, reflecting his early works from the late 70s. This sector of culture has become one of the most vulnerable and targeted victims of this ongoing war. This article provides key insights into the extent of the damage that has occurred, highlighting several notable incidents.
Hassan Musa in action. Source: His Facebook account
Addressing the subject of violence against art Institutions and galleries in Sudan brings in the historical memory, the notable event of the mysterious fire at the Abu-Jenzeer showroom in the seventies. Which is considered to be the early manifestation of a Sudanese art gallery. This incident led to the closure of the place and the loss of numerous valuable artworks that played a significant role in shaping the country's artistic identity. The prolonged dictatorship under former president Omer Albasheer further exacerbated the situation, with art and artists being directly targeted and monitored by the government. A particularly infamous chapter was the political suspension of 28 students from the School of Fine and Applied Art due to their opposition to the former Islamic regime. This incident involved well-known artists like Ahmed Almurdi, Raja Oushi, Salah Suliman, and Hussain Salim, leading to the migration of many of these artists. More recently, the violent attack on Jaloos Art Space in 2022 aimed to suppress artistic expression and restrict freedom in public spaces.
“The violence wasn’t only targeting art but more generally the cultural act itself as an element related to modernization and urban city life. The government initially attempted to utilize art as a means to promote its Islamic political ideology. However, when it failed in this mission, it restored to censorship and violence, targeting both artists and critics.”
_Mozafar Ramadan, Visual Artist
Rahiem Shaddad, an art curator, argues, "The government didn't fail in using arts to promote religious and political ideology. The rise and popularity of Haqeeba music and madeeh songs in the airtime of national TV is a success story for them, in addition to many other examples. It is also problematic because the late Hassan El-Turabi called the agenda of the regime (Almashrou' Alhadari) or the modernization project".
In this article, we take a tour of the galleries, personal archives and landmarks that were attacked, looted and most tragically lost. Countless others remain unaccounted for.
The Muse Gallery has been operational since October of 2022, while The Muse Multi Studios has been active since 2019. Reem Aljeally, the founder, mentioned that she had not been aware of the gallery's status since the night before the war, Friday, April 14 2023, when they were closing an exhibition and making plans for the upcoming year. Since then, neither Reem nor the building owners where the Muse Gallery is situated have received any updates regarding the building.
The majority of the Khartoum 2 neighborhood, known as the main hub for art galleries, was looted and vandalized after most residents evacuated, leaving Reem with little hope for the gallery's future. The art collection left in the gallery is not extensive, with less than 100 paintings, as the gallery has only been in its new location for six months, hosting five exhibitions and collaborating with 25 artists. However, most of Reem's personal work and art collection, along with pieces from other artists who found refuge in the gallery, are still there.
Luckily, The Muse team has a robust digital archiving system that tracks all artworks in the gallery, along with the artists' names and measurements. Reem's main concern now is the cultural significance of the lost artworks, as their disappearance would mark the end of a crucial era in the contemporary art movement that emerged after the revolution and during the transitional period. Currently, The Muse is operating from Port Sudan with local partners and organizing various cultural events, as well as from 'Almarai', sans-serif !important, where Reem currently resides.
Narty Gallery Venue, Source: Mahasin Ismail
Narty Gallery, a newly established art venue that, despite lasting for only five months of operation before the war, was able to penetrate the art market quickly. Dealing with a diverse range of artists, including leading figures such as Otaybi and Rashid Diab, as well as promising art students.
During an interview I did with the owner and main gallery director, Eng. Waleed Idris noted, “Recently, as I have settled in the UK, my plans include opening an art marketing agency. I have established good relations with many galleries here, and I plan to promote Sudanese artists' artworks and expand their market accessibility. I believe this will be a great opportunity to introduce Sudan's most promising talents to the world”.
Looting and Destruction of Issam Abdul Hafiz's Personal Art Studio
Countless precious paintings, archives, and a large library that holds knowledge and cultural artifacts owned by the renowned Sudanese artist Issam Abdul Hafiz were tragically destroyed under the current armed conflict in Khartoum by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This senseless act of violence resulted in the loss of countless invaluable texts, significant cultural resources, and irreplaceable paintings documenting the critical era of the Sudanese art movement.
Jaloos Artspace, Source: Mahasin Ismai
Despite its short run period since it opened its doors to the public in July 2022, this gallery has been exposed to multiple attacks. The first one was in January of 2023, led by a group of residents in the surrounding neighborhood who suspected the gallery activities and its visitors’ actions. Consequently, on the opening day of the (Beyond The Myth) exhibition by artist Mohammad Siddig, these individuals came and destroyed the place. This depraved act destroyed over 35 artworks, caused severe injuries to five gallery workers, including the featured artist, and caused deliberate damage to the gallery itself. Nevertheless, this didn’t hold back the owner and main founder Almogera Abdelbagi from moving forward with a busy schedule of artistic events and exhibitions.
Regrettably, following the outbreak of war, this establishment once again became a target of destruction, this time at the hands of the RSF militia, who occupied the gallery for over two months, systematically destroying all the paintings and looting its belongings.
Downtown Gallery
During one of Downtown Gallery’s events before the war source: Sarah Almana
Downtown Gallery is a leading art institution established in 2021 in Khartoum. It succeeded in breaking decades of a stagnant monopolistic scene and activated the art market through periodic exhibitions, commitment to quality, and high standards of display for prospective artists. When asked about the gallery's status following the war, Rahiem Shadad, the owner and gallery director, provided the following statement:
“It has come to our knowledge that the gallery was opened indirectly some time ago. During our efforts to confirm this information, we discovered that individuals from the RSF have taken up residence within the gallery. Through a complicated process, we obtained actual photos that reveal the extended damage that has occurred. We immediately posted these photos on social media because, as a gallery, we sense the responsibility to be as transparent and honest with our audience, as well as our artists, regarding everything that has happened."
Pictures showing the damage to different parts of the gallery, Source: Rahiem Shadad
The framing cabin, which held precious artworks, has been significantly damaged. The main storage cabinets have been dismantled. The kitchen, which held all the logistical supplies, has been looted. Rahiem added, "Unfortunately, the most painful loss was the hard drive of my personal computer, which contained an enormous amount of data that goes back to the beginning of 2021, including lists of artists, pictures of artworks, sales financial documents, exhibition posters, and catalogs."
The money inside the money lock room has also been stolen. Strange enough, most of the artworks themselves still appear to be in good condition. The window facing the main street is completely removed, which means that anyone can easily gain access to the gallery.
Picture showing the gallery’s kitchen and the stolen open money lock in the corner, Source: Rahiem Shadad
If we speak in numbers to quantify the damage and contents, the gallery hosted 80-95 stretched canvas pieces, 80 framed glass paintings, a photography collection from previous exhibitions, and over 350 unframed paper artworks. Providing an accurate estimate of the overall value of these artworks is challenging, as some of them are not even intended for sale, their worth is essentially tied to their cultural significance, serving as records and reflections of a specific critical moment in Sudan’s modern history, registering emotions of those artists towards such events. As for the digital archive of the artworks, the gallery diligently maintains documentation for the majority of the paintings showcased in both solo and group exhibitions.
Since the beginning of the war, the Downtown Gallery managed to curate five exhibitions in 'Almarai', sans-serif !important, Germany, Portugal, and Kenya, advocating for more attention regarding artists’ conditions during the war and showing exceptional stories of resilience. Nonetheless, Raheim feels “ disappointed not to see at least one government official representative talking or highlighting the amount of damage that happened to the cultural entities during this period.”
Institut français régional du Soudan (The French Institute)
The French Cultural Center was one of the prominent hubs for art and cultural activities, with one of the largest media libraries in the country; a terrace for cinema screenings, conferences, meetings, readings, plays, and concerts; a modern and spacious exhibition gallery as well; and a language course service. The institute suffered severe damage when the French embassy evacuated its citizens during the second week of the war.
Last October, Nova magazine reported on the destruction of the French embassy in Khartoum by RSF forces. In an interview conducted in October 2023, Lila Khr, who previously served as the Cultural Manager at the French Institute, shared her experience. She mentioned that she had been working at the French Institute in Khartoum since June 2022 and had left Sudan for the holidays on April 9, intending to return before the end of the month. Lila learned about the devastating news through phone calls and news reports on a Saturday morning. By the end of April, she was informed that her service had been postponed indefinitely along with all other employees. Lila expressed uncertainty about the current state of the institute's facilities and archives, as its strategic location in the heart of downtown Khartoum made it a likely target for damage. She emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage, noting that the institute's archives contained valuable artworks that were significant in Sudanese art history. Lila also mentioned her struggle to find a new job, as she was still processing the events and did not feel ready to move on to a different field.
The French Institute, Source: French Institue in Sudan on Facebook
Conclusion
The violent acts that have occurred toward art institutions, painting studios, and galleries reveal the impact on contemporary Sudanese art heritage and emphasize the urgent need for efforts to preserve and protect this cultural legacy. The destruction and looting of cultural artifacts deprive future generations of unique insights into their past and threaten the preservation of cultural identity.
While editing this article, news spread about the theft of many artifacts from the National Museum of Sudan, the RSF, accused of numerous atrocities against civilians, has been linked to the theft of artefacts, some of which have been put up for sale online. The museum, one of the most significant cultural institutions in Sudan, houses a collection spanning Sudanese history from the Stone Age to the Islamic period, making this looting a substantial loss for Sudan’s cultural heritage.
The local, regional, and international community needs to acknowledge and support efforts to preserve Sudanese art heritage. Collaborative initiatives between local communities, art organizations, governments, and international institutions can provide resources, expertise, and advocacy to protect art institutions and galleries from violence and ensure their sustained survival. The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is providing investigative support to the National Museum to document the crimes and track down the stolen artefacts. Also, The museum's staff is working tirelessly to document the losses and cooperate with international organizations to recover the stolen artifacts.
Additionally, A group of over 200 researchers has appealed to South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit to help recover the looted artifacts that may have been taken to South Sudan for sale. There are also many community and collaborative initiatives between local cultural actors, cultural institutions and donors working to document the artistic and cultural heritage of Sudan through the creation of electronic archives, storytelling, re-publishing and distribution and other activities, for example, Our Heritage, Our Sudan.
To learn more, please read the report of the cultural heritage situation in Sudan provided by the Sudan Heritage Protection Initiative (SHPI).