“My work is connected to a poetic rendition or meditation on politically charged questions through a recourse to the sublime.”
— Isaac Julien
Since the 1980s, British filmmaker and artist Isaac Julien has consistently pushed the boundaries of video and installation art. The present lot is a still from his multi-screen installation Ten Thousand Waves which premiered at the Sydney Biennial in 2010 and made its debut in the United States at the Bass Museum in Miami in 2011. Examining themes of history, tragedy, and migration, the 50-minute film weaves together contemporary re-enactments of ancient Chinese myths and fables with news footage, poetry, choreography, and a blend of Eastern and Western sounds. Filmed in Shanghai, it is a dynamic exploration of China’s ancient past and present. This image features master calligrapher Gong Fagen in a scene where he performatively inscribes oversized Chinese characters in black ink on the screen.
