Page 37 - 2018 Powerlist

Isaac Julien Langston in ‘I dream a world Looking for Langston’ – an Arts, Fashion & Design
Artist and Film-maker exhibition of photographic prints, archival material and
storyboards, at the Victoria Miro Gallery in London.
He is also showing his 2007 video essay, ‘Western Union:
Hailed for his arresting films and vibrant and immersive small boats’ – about African migration to Sicily – at the
gallery installations, Turner Prize-nominated Isaac has Venice Biennale and working on a new piece about an 18th
seen his work exhibited worldwide. century suffragette’s relationship with an abortionist.
His art aims to break down the barriers between Last year he won the Panorama TEDDY 30 award at
disciplines, from film to dance, photography, music, the Berlinale 66th Berlin International, for Looking
theatre and painting. for Langston, and in 2014 scooped the Golden Gate
A BA Fine Art Film graduate from Central St Martin’s – Persistence of Vision Award at the San Francisco
where he achieved a first – as a student he co-founded the International Film Festival.
visionary Sankofa Film and Video Collective, dedicated to Other solo exhibitions in 2017 include Playtime at the
developing an independent black film culture. He was also Platform-L Contemporary Art Center in Seoul and Other
a founding member of Normal Films in 1991. Destinies at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
Isaac came to prominence in 1989 with his drama Isaac is Chair of Global Art at the University of the Arts,
documentary Looking for Langston, a poetic exploration of London, trustee of the Parasol Unit, Regents Professor of
American poet-activist Langston Hughes and the Harlem the University of California Berkeley and Trustee of Zeitz
Renaissance. In 1991 his film Young Soul Rebels scooped MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa. He was previously
the critics’ prize for best film at the Cannes Film Festival visiting lecturer at Harvard University’s Schools of
and he was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2001. Afro-American and Visual Environmental Studies and
This summer he revisited his now cult film Looking for Research Fellow at Goldsmiths College University.