Isaac Julien: knighthood title is 鈥榩roblematic鈥�
The artist says he had to think deeply before accepting award
British artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien had to think 鈥榪uite deeply鈥� before accepting his knighthood, because of the connotations of its full title: 鈥楰night of the British Empire鈥�. Speaking to the 大象传媒鈥檚 HARDtalk programme, Julien said 鈥榦f course for me, having to take an award that has that title is problematic鈥�.
Speaking to Zeinab Badawi, the acclaimed artist, whose parents emigrated from St. Lucia to Britain in the 1960s, said he took the award because of its important 鈥榬ecognition鈥�. Julien said he is hopeful of change: 鈥業 do think it鈥檚 really good that we have at this particular moment, Charles, our new king, looking at questions around slavery鈥� and that the institution 鈥榳ill have to look鈥t the 鈥榥aming鈥� of these awards. Julien said he鈥檚 鈥榟oping there will be a recognition by our new monarch that will look at those questions鈥�.
On the topic of restitution 鈥� the returning of artworks taken that were stolen or improperly traded, often due to colonialism 鈥� Julien is clear that 鈥榠f things have been wrongly taken they should be given back鈥�. He added that 鈥榯he acknowledgement of certain violence that takes place at a particular time鈥� is 鈥榲ery important鈥�. Julien addressed these issues in his 2019 multi-screen installation 鈥極nce Again . . . (Statues Never Die)鈥�. He told Badawi he sees his work as 鈥榓 form of poetic restitution. I see it as something which is thinking about the nuances around these sorts of questions鈥�.
Julien currently has a major exhibition at the Tate Britain museum in London. It is a retrospective of his decades-long career examining some of the most divisive issues of our age: migration, racism, and sexuality.
