Life in Extreme Climate Zones

With Khartoum – A Tale of Three Cities, the German photographer completes his three-book series on life in extreme climate zones. Following on from Zhili Byli (about the harsh winters in Arkhangelsk, Russia, where temperatures plummet to minus 30 degrees Celsius) and Inside Out Kochi (shot in India during the monsoon season), the final volume now focuses on the dry, desert climate of Sudan’s capital. 

In the city of Khartoum, temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer months. With climate change, the crisis-hit region is facing its perhaps greatest challenge to date, as harsh droughts, searing heat and erratic weather patterns are projected to increase.

André Lützen set out to find out more about everyday life in these extreme conditions, and how people have adapted their living spaces to deal with the constant heat. The resulting series of images alternates between outside and inside shots, portraits and interiors. 

Lützen’s photographs of Khartoum were still captured in a time of peace. Since then, the civil war between the Sudanese Army and the once-allied Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has turned the country’s economic and political centre into a shell of a city, with human suffering continuing to reach ever-more catastrophic proportions. By offering a glimpse into an everyday reality that has since ceased to exist, Lützen’s latest photo book is even more poignant – highlighting our vulnerability to external forces, be it climate change or war.

The book launch for Khartoum – A Tale of Three Cities takes place on 19 January 2024 at the Westwerk exhibition space in Hamburg, starting from 7 p.m. The venue will also host a showcase of excerpts from the series, open on 20 and 21 January 2024.