Empires of Emptiness and Sahara & The Steppe

Location
Aston Webb - Rotunda Gallery (First Floor) (R6 on campus map)
Dates
Monday 14 March (09:00) - Sunday 15 May 2016 (18:00)
Empires (Berny Sebe exhibition)
(c) Photo Alain Sebe/ www.alainsebeimages.com

How do empires expand into deserts? Despite their apparently limited value and significant logistical difficulties, the conquest of desert has often mobilised sizeable resources from some of the world’s most notable empires.

Presenting the results of the Birmingham-led research project Outposts of Conquest, this exhibition displays the history and present-day state of one of the most symbolically charged expressions of imperial control in desert environments: the Russian fortifications in the Central Asian steppe and the vast network of French forts built in an attempt to control the Sahara desert. The comparison shows how these two Christian colonial powers sought to control Muslim and predominantly nomad populations.

The indoor exhibition is complemented by an outdoor gallery, Sahara & the Steppe, which contextualises the geographical and human environment where these fortresses were built.  The vanity of these imperial fortresses, guarding these vast spaces of wind, sand and stars, appears even more clearly, and the stories behind these sentinels of the void, even more mysterious.

Exhibition continues to 15 May, open Monday to Friday, 9.00 - 18.00. Admission is free.

Presented by Dr Berny Sebe, Department of Modern Languages, in partnership with Research and Cultural Collections, as part of Arts & Science Festival 2016, a week-long celebration of ideas, research and collaboration across campus.