Editorial

The modern arts movement in Sudan was marked by scholarly tendencies. This artistic movement is characterised by a unified philosophical and thematic approach that views art as a product of thought and cultural activity. The various scholastic tendencies share a degree of unity in subject matter and the way artwork is treated.

The Sudanese archive, shaped by conflict, preserves history through institutions like the National Records Office and museums. Yet, it remains fragmented, detached from oral traditions, and endangered by war and displacement. Discover the struggle to protect Sudan’s memory and its contested narratives.

Visual arts—particularly fine arts—have long been practiced across Sudan over millennia. While the label “modern visual art” often refers to art practiced after the 1898 English conquest, this framing is imprecise. Sudan had rich longstanding traditions of artistic expression that predate colonial institutions.

The loss of physical spaces complicates the process of archiving, as they derive power from their architectural and social context. While artists and institutions have neglected archiving due to state-focused roles and lack of funding, projects like "Decaying Bank" attempt to capture lost memories.