Filmmaker Isaac Julien To Take the Stage At London's Conway Hall This Weekend

Many refer to Isaac Julien as a filmmaker and installation artist, and they'd be correct to do so. But what they don't realise is that he's also a weaver of sonic tapestries; wrung with hidden meanings, poetic references and historical interpretations of both fact and fiction. His work, innately poignant in its message, is laced with intention and delivered with force, meaning Julien has built quite a fanbase over his career.

Alas, it's a good week for devoted fans of Julien all over as this weekend will see the filmmaker take the podium at London's Conway Hall to engage in a discussion harking on the connections between the creative's own art practice and, to quote the words of the late Bell Hooks, the 'diasporic dream-space'. The presentation will also be accompanied by a new configuration of his immersive installation Once Again... (Statues Never Die) (2022).

Focusing on the current state of the imaginary, and exploring the connection between image-making and political allegory, Julien will draw upon the conversations he's had with Stuart Hall over the years to reflect on how ideas, language and narrative strategies can transform within a visual frame to present new modes of the imaginary. The event markss the venue's 7th public conversation - a series which started in 2018 - and has previously included the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, David Edgar, Elaine Mitchener, Jacqueline Rose, and Roger Robinson.

This conversation forms as part of a wider inaugural programme which invites artists, academics, and organisers to examine themes centred around 'Catastrophe and Emergence'. Like Frederic Douglas, the famed abolitionist whom Julien has based many of his film work on, the shared belief of 'knowledge is power', along with many other talking points will be explored in this series.

For the event, Julien will be in conversation with Stuart Hall Foundation Chair, and Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Gilane Tawadros. Attendees can either attend in person at Conway Hall in London, UK, or join online via a livestream. Tickets are available to purchase here.