Contemporary Talks

May 17, 2025 / 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Remembering Christian Walker

With Remarks and Exhibition Tour by Executive Director Floyd Hall

Tour

Join us as we honor the life and legacy of Christian Walker (1953–2003), a groundbreaking photographer, critic, and curator whose work boldly explored the intersections of queer identity, race, intimacy, and activism. This special event invites the Atlanta arts community to reflect on Walker’s profound impact through personal remembrance and artistic engagement.

Atlanta Contemporary Executive Director Floyd Hall will offer opening remarks, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition Christian Walker: The Profane and the Poignant. This exhibition is the most comprehensive survey of Walker’s career to date, showcasing his evolution from documentary portraiture to innovative, experimental photographic practices incorporating mixed media and archival imagery.

Active in both Boston and Atlanta, Walker’s work confronted subjects such as interracial desire, queer public sexuality, HIV/AIDS, and the politics of visibility and representation. His artistic and curatorial contributions—often raw, intimate, and politically charged—challenged societal norms and left a lasting imprint on contemporary art and photography.

Curated by Jackson Davidow and Noam Parness, and originally organized by the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, this exhibition also foregrounds the challenges of preserving Walker’s legacy—highlighting lost archives, oral histories, and the ephemeral nature of queer memory.

We welcome all who knew Christian Walker or who are newly discovering his work to join us in this space of reflection, remembrance, and celebration.


Upcoming Program Events

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September 19 - October 15 Special Event

CALL FOR VENDORS

2025 Annual Holiday Market | November 22, 12 pm- 5 pm

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CALLING ALL VENDORS! Atlanta Contemporary is accepting vendor applications for our annual Holiday Market. Application submission closes on October 15 at 11:59 pm. Atlanta Contemporary presents local artists and craftspeople who create temporary storefronts in our museum galleries.

October 16 / 6:00pm Open Studios

Open Studios

Studio Artist Program

Ticketed

Open Studios invites you to get to know the artists in our Studio Artist Program. Come see their work firsthand and just maybe add some art to your collection.

October 18 / 10:00am Special Event

Somatic Sound: Contemporary Yoga

Lead by Sydney McCall

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Join us for a transformative morning of movement and sound at Flow State, a one-hour immersive yoga experience led by Sydney McCall, accompanied by the live sounds.

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