Gres art 671 presents “Museum Dreams,” the first major retrospective in Italy dedicated to the work of Isaac Julien, one of the most important visual artists of our time, with a decisive role in expanding the language of the moving image.
Conceived by gres art 671 and curated by Nathan Ladd, “Museum Dreams” is conceived specifically for the architectural and conceptual structure of the Bergamo space. Bringing together five major large-scale installations – Once Again… (Statues Never Die) (2022); Lina Bo Bardi – A Marvellous Entanglement (2019); Baltimore (2002); Vagabondia (2000); and The Long Road to Mazatlán (1999) – the exhibition draws on more than three decades of Julien’s artistic practice, highlighting his distinctive approach that crosses disciplines such as film, dance, photography, music and sculpture.
Julien constructs layered narratives that investigate desire, social memory and museum institutions, offering a critical framework for interrogating and interpreting contemporary historical events. In gres art 671, the artist deconstructs museum spaces, transforming them into an active part of the journey of his film installations. “Museum Dreams” reflects on the architectural contexts in which works with moving images are presented and preserved, both institutionally and personally, leading to reflections on issues of time and memory with five immersive film installations, sculptures, artifacts, photographs and archival materials.
Through this set of works, the audience is invited to become a “mobile spectator,” moving freely among kaleidoscopic installations in which image, sound and architecture converge. The exhibition unfolds as a sensory experience that transcends the limits of traditional classifications, creating a visual language capable of disrupting the narrative logic that shapes our everyday perception.
