Isaac Julien (b. 1960) is one of the most celebrated British filmmakers and artists of all time. He is the subject of a major retrospective at Tate Britain this summer. The exhibition, entitled Isaac Julien: What Freedom Is to Me, showcases a selection of his seminal works from the past four decades, charting the development of his pioneering work in flm, installation and video.
Throughout his career, Julien has been known for his visually stunning and intellectually rigorous works that challenge conventional notions of identity, race and sexuality. Multi-screen projects blur the boundaries between fiction and documentary, combining archival footage with original material to create complex and layered narratives. The show opens with work produced by the Sankofa Film and Video Collective. Founded in 1983 by Julien alongside Martina Attille, Maureen Blackwood, Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Robert Crusz, this group of London art students from across the African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora played a vital role in the establishment of Black independent cinema in Britain. Four works from this period are on view at Tate Britain, including Julien’s first film, Who Killed Colin Roach (1983) alongside Looking for Langston (1989), exploring Black queer desire.
For the first time in Europe, the show also premieres Once Again… (Statues Never Die) (2022), surveying the relationship between American collector Albert C. Barnes and Alain Locke, “Father of the Harlem Renaissance.” Isaac Julien: What Freedom Is to Me invites viewers to engage with some of the most pressing social issues through the lens of one of the most visionary artists alive today.
Isaac Julien: What Freedom is to Me
Tate Britain, London | Until 20 August
Words: Cherie Federico
Image Credits:
1. Isaac Julien, Glass House, Prism (Ten Thousand Waves), (2010). Endura Ultra photograph, diptych, 180 x 239.8 x 7.5 cm each, 70 7/8 x 94 3/8 x 3 in each. Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro. © Isaac Julien.
2. Isaac Julien, Mazu, Silence (Ten Thousand Waves), (2010). Endura Ultra photograph, 180 x 239.8 x 7.5 cm (70 7/8 x 94 3/8 x 3 in) © Isaac Julien Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro.
3. Isaac Julien, O que é um museu? / What is a Museum? (Lina Bo Bardi – A Marvellous Entanglement), (2019). Endura Ultra photograph facemounted, 180 x 240 x 7.5 cm (70 7/8 x 94 1/2 x 3 in) © Isaac Julien Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro.
