Panellists discuss during a session of the programme.
Doha, Qatar: As war rages on in Sudan, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) convened a landmark Sudanese intellectual and cultural gathering on “Seeing Sudan” to shed light on the urgent crisis. Together acclaimed scholars and creatives used the safety of the diaspora to bring attention to the thousands dead and millions displaced, and offered a roadmap to post-war recovery that ensures the preservation of the country’s rich legacy of being a center of knowledge and culture.
Acclaimed journalist and GU-Q Practitioner-in-Residence Nesrine Malik captured the essence of the gathering, saying: “The challenge has been to think not only about what is the war in Sudan, but what is Sudan itself. With the erasure of cultural memories, physical artifacts, and history, the only way to hold on to it has been through storytelling, narrative, music, literature, and art.”
Over the course of three days, conference participants highlighted how creativity and resistance are intertwined, collectively imagining a future based on reinvesting in education and cultural production, welcoming home displaced citizens, advancing scientific and industrial capacity, and drawing together politicians, civil society organizations, and grassroots movements to rebuild the country together.
The packed opening of the Sudan Retold artexhibition and book launch at Alhosh Gallery poignantly depicted the complex relationship between a nation and its people, and highlighted the devastation of war. “Who is missing right now are the artists in this room, barely any of them are here, and I want to dedicate this moment to them. While their art can travel, the artists can’t, they are trapped,” said Larissa-Diana Fuhrmann, researcher at Peace Research Institute, and exhibition co-curator.
By tapping into cultural narratives, the conference shed light on universal themes of love, belonging, and loss in a time of uncertainty. “War does not define our art. Our mission is to investigate the modes of expression that spill out of our consciousness into the world,” said Yafil Mubarak, curator, and director of Dara Art Gallery in Khartoum, adding: “Sudanese art is an essential part of the narrative of the country, we are stabalizing this world that barely sees us.”
Part of GU-Q’s Hiwaraat conference series drawing attention to the most pressing topics of our day, the event became an essential platform for Sudanese cultural solidarity during a critical moment in history.
