Each slide, a fragment of personal or historical memory, captures intimate glimpses of lives around the globe, documenting ordinary and monumental moments alike. Scenes include the resilience of post-war Berlin in 1952, the controversial practice of whale hunting in Iceland in 1962, the grandeur of Norway’s 1952 Winter Olympics, the stark realities of IRA bombings in Thatcher-era London, and complex interactions between missionaries and indigenous tribes in Papua New Guinea. Together, these images form a nuanced tapestry of human experience during a transformative era.

Central to Empire is the investigation of photography’s relationship with power—specifically its historical role in nationalism, colonialism, and cultural dominance. Photography was often employed as a subtle yet powerful medium to propagate Western ideals, reinforce cultural hierarchies, and influence global perceptions. Empire disrupts these narratives through AI-generated reinterpretations, critically questioning and redefining notions of British identity and the visual frameworks that have historically shaped our collective consciousness.

Photography, as a universal language transcending cultures, communicates directly to our emotions and shared experiences. Sheldrick taps into this intrinsic power, allowing the past and present to coexist within his reimagined images. Empire acknowledges the profound complexity found in humanity’s shared histories, balancing beauty with sadness, triumph with loss. By giving new life to these archival moments through technology, the project highlights photography's enduring emotional resonance and its role in shaping collective memory.

Empire is ultimately a meditation on how we reconstruct narratives of history, identity, and memory through the lenses of art and technology. It invites viewers into an active dialogue, fostering deeper reflection on the complexities of how our past is documented, remembered, and continuously reshaped by our contemporary gaze.