“Gestures of Refusal: Black Photography and Visual Culture”

New at the Contemporary Arts Center and in partnership with SEEING BLACK, “Gestures of Refusal: Black Photography and Visual Culture” is an exercise in the unconventional and the splendid—bringing attention to the ways that contemporary photographers wield the visual power of the camera to discern, behold, celebrate, and document people, places, events, collective memories, encounters, and other ever-present moments of Blackness that refuse erasure. Curated by Shana M. griffin, Gestures of Refusal will feature five immersive installations and over 180 photographs and objects covering a spectrum of narrative styles, compositions, techniques, and approaches, showcasing the photographs of nearly one hundred contemporary Black photographers with ties to New Orleans from the 1950s to the present. The exhibit opens on January 6 and closes September 15, 2024.