What Freedom Is To Me

An engrossing book about one of the most important and pioneering contemporary artists and filmmakers working today.

‘Dance, theatre, music, sculpture, painting, all of these different modes of art-making are encapsulated into my practice, which is why I chose film as a medium for making my work.’ — Isaac Julien

Celebrated for his compelling lyrical films and video art installations, Isaac Julien is one of the leading artists working today.

This landmark book reveals the scope of Julien’s pioneering practice of over forty years, from the early 1980s to the present day, showcasing works from early films to large-scale, multi-screen installations which investigate the movement of peoples across different continents, times and spaces. It includes some of his early projects as part of Sankofa Film and Video Collective (1983–92); his critically acclaimed ten-screen video installation Lessons of the Hour 2019, a portrait of the life and times of Frederick Douglass, the visionary African American orator, philosopher and self-liberated freedom-fighter; and Once Again … (Statues Never Die) 2022.

The wide range of writers and collaborators who have contributed to this book highlight Julien's critical thinking and the way his work breaks down barriers between different artistic disciplines, drawing from film, dance, photography, music, theatre, painting and sculpture by using the themes of desire, history and culture.

Featuring strikingly beautiful reproductions of these extraordinarily powerful works, this publication enriches our understanding and appreciation of a remarkable artist.

The Isaac Julien app allows readers to immerse themselves in the images of the films and installations by bringing to life the artist's work in his recent publications ‘What Freedom Is To Me’. Users are able to position their phone’s camera over a variety of specially chosen images that come to life, in movement and sound, highlighting the artist’s multifaceted practice that draws from film, dance, photography, music, theatre, painting and sculpture by utilising the themes of desire, history and culture.