The Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht is hosting the retrospective What Freedom Is To Me, by the internationally renowned artist Isaac Julien, from 9 March to 18 August. It is the biggest presentation of Julien’s work to date and his first retrospective in a Dutch museum. The opening of the retrospective will take place on 8 March 2024.
Isaac Julien (London, 1960) is a pioneer in the field of video and installation art, which continually pushes back the boundaries of film as an art form. Since the early 1980s, he has been making impressive installations that unite the medium of film with art forms like photography, performance, music and painting. Julien’s works tell important stories and prioritise aesthetics, poetry, movement and music as means of communication. For instance, he explores the medium’s potential to break down traditional views of history, space and time, as well as to expand them.
With regard to content, Julien operates at the interface of various forms of social engagement. There is a constant emphasis on social justice in his films. In particular, he reflects on the Black and queer identity, in which he spotlights issues like class, sexuality and cultural history.