Sudan Retold – an Art Book About the History & Future of Sudan

New anthology offers artistic perspectives on the history and future of Sudan

A woman speaks into a microphone. People stand around her and listen.

Sudan is shaped by many cultures, re­ligions, languages, and stories – yet it is often forced into a single, linear narrative. Through fiction, personal memories, archival frag­ments, and visual storytelling, “Sudan Retold - Edition 1 1⁄2” aims to question this narrative. The anthology is edited by Khalid Albaih, Larissa-Diana Fuhrmann, and Suzi Mirghani.

“Sudan Retold Edition 1½” is part of a series of publications, research ini­tiatives, and artistic projects that was launched more than ten years ago. The anthology, which follows the 2019 volume “Sudan Retold”, brings together contributions by artists, writers, curators, and cultural practi­tioners. The contributors aim to help create a multi-layered, plu­ralistic understanding of Sudan. To this end, they examine Sudan’s tangible and in­tangible cultural heritage, record what has been lost, high­light what still exists, and actively support further artistic creation and knowledge production.

The con­tributions and accompanying exhibitions for the publication are primarily based on per­sonal archives, oral traditions, and forgotten objects. On September 19, 2025, the book was pre­sented and accompanied by an art exhibition at the “Seeing Sudan Hiwaraat Conference” at George­town University in Doha, Qatar. 

On October 14, 2025, the anthology will also be pre­sented at the Almas Art Foundation in London, UK, with an accompanying exhibition running until mid-December.

Co-editor and TraCe Associate Fellow Larissa-Diana Fuhrmann focuses on theoretical and artistic explorations of political violence in Sudan. Since spring, she has been part of the research initiative “(Re)Collecting Sudan: Art and Culture Archives” in Doha, which is linked to the “Seing Sudan Hiwaraat Conference.” Since spring, she has been part of the re­search initiative “(Re)­Collecting Sudan: Art and Cul­ture Archives” in Doha, which is linked to the “Seing Sudan Hiwaraat Con­ference.”