CINCINNATI —Contemporary Indian photographer Sohrab Hura receives his first solo museum exhibition, organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum, from October 5, 2019–February 2, 2020. The Levee: A Photographer in the American South presents an 83-picture suite titled The Levee, in which Hura explores themes of connection, perspective and place.
While The Levee consists primarily of black and white photographs, the exhibition also includes hand-drawn maps and ambient sound. The landscapes and portraits of The Levee trace the artist’s 2016 travels along the lower Mississippi River.
Hura’s spring 2016 trip with the Postcards group was a timely examination of the South, a region that has often been represented in photography, yet remains the object of romanticization and stereotype. However, Hura also had a personal connection to place: just before the artist’s trip along the levees of the Mississippi, his father had traveled the river while at work on a container ship, unable to step onto land. The photographer’s journey became a metaphor for a difficult, often distant relationship with a father who was physically and emotionally out of reach.
Hura’s experience speaks to Cincinnati’s meaningful history as a river city and a gateway to the American South. Public programming at the museum will use The Levee as a springboard for the community to examine issues ranging from regional and national perceptions of the South, to race and identity, to social implications of mental health disorders.
Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Special exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free. www.cincinnatiartmusem.org.