Artist Paul Rucker's exhibition "Rewind Resurrection" returns to New York a decade after its debut, featuring his iconic Klan robes reimagined in bold fabrics like pink, Kente cloth, and camouflage. The show, which was censored at York College of Pennsylvania in 2017 following the Charlottesville white supremacist rally, includes KKK memorabilia, data visualizations of prison proliferation, and wooden relief sculptures honoring victims of racial violence. It is Rucker's first New York show, self-funded in a rented Chelsea gallery, and he hopes an institution will acquire the entire installation.
This exhibition matters because it confronts the persistent legacy of racism in America, using art to expose how white supremacy and systemic oppression hide in plain sight. Its timing is especially poignant as political debates rage over acknowledging the destructive legacy of enslavement, but Rucker insists the work transcends any single administration, addressing the broader culture of racism that has evolved from enslavement to mass incarceration. The show's history of censorship also highlights ongoing tensions around free expression and critical race discourse in the U.S.