Southern Rites by Gillian Laub

CL Critic Okla Jones, III Recommends: Until January of next year, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center will be home to Southern Rites, a traveling exhibition from photographer Gillian Laub, curated by Maya Benton. Laub, who spent the last two decades investigating political conflicts, exploring family relationships, and challenging assumptions about cultural identity. In this solo show, Laub engages her skills as a photographer, filmmaker, and visual activist to examine the realities of racism and raise questions that are both painful and essential to understanding the American consciousness. Audiences can view this story about twenty-first century young people in the American South, as it poses the question: “Can a new generation liberate itself from a harrowing and traumatic past to create a different future?” — OJ