Home » TRAVEL EVENT NEWS » Discover the Power of History: Dawoud Bey’s Elegy Exhibition at NOMA Transforms New Orleans into a Cultural Journey Published on
November 14, 2025New Orleans is about to become the epicenter of profound artistic reflection as the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) opens its latest major exhibition: Dawoud Bey: Elegy. Running from September 26, 2025, to January 4, 2026, this exhibition offers an exceptional opportunity to delve into the complex intersections of history, geography, and African-American memory through the lens of landscape photography. For those visiting New Orleans, this exhibition promises to be a powerful addition to your travel itinerary.A Deep Dive Into African-American History and MemoryDawoud Bey, one of the most celebrated American photographers, has built his career on capturing evocative images that explore African-American identity, history, and culture. In Elegy, his work focuses on landscapes that hold deep historical significance, particularly for African Americans. Visitors can experience over forty of Bey’s iconic black-and-white photographs alongside two immersive film installations that further enhance the storytelling. This exhibition not only highlights stunning visual art but also offers a rich exploration of African-American history, allowing audiences to understand these landscapes through the weight of memory and heritage.Advertisement Explore Key Photographic Series That Will Move YouBey’s work in Elegy is structured around three powerful photographic series: Stony the Road (2023), In This Here Place (2019), and Night Coming Tenderly, Black (2017). Each series invites visitors to explore specific geographic sites that carry the legacy of slavery and the African-American struggle for freedom.Stony the Road – A Journey Through Richmond’s Historic PathsThe series focuses on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, where over 350,000 enslaved African Americans were forced to travel in the 19th century. The accompanying film installation 350,000 (2023) brings this painful history to life, offering a somber yet visually striking reminder of the human cost of slavery.In This Here Place – Capturing Louisiana’s Plantation PastFeaturing photographs taken at five former plantations around New Orleans, this series focuses on the spaces where enslaved people lived and worked. The exhibit gives a voice to these otherwise forgotten places, drawing attention to their role in shaping the history of the South.Night Coming Tenderly, Black – Tracing the Last Miles of the Underground RailroadSet in Ohio, this series depicts the landscapes traversed by enslaved people escaping to freedom via the Underground Railroad. The dark and atmospheric photographs ev …
