Vagabondia is a work by Sir Isaac Julien CBE RA (b.1960, London), whose artistic practice intertwines poetic visual storytelling with critical explorations of black identity, history, and place. Julien’s contributions have been instrumental in redefining the role of film within contemporary art. This is evident in works like Vagabondia and The Long Road to Mazatlán, the latter created in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Javier de Frutos.
Vagabondia was originally commissioned for the exhibition Retrace Your Steps: Remember Tomorrow, curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Cerith Wyn Evans at the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. Set within the museum’s atmospheric spaces, the film examines themes of presence, absence, and the haunting residues of history. By employing the figure of the wandering dancer, Julien disrupts the institution’s colonial legacy, using the dancer’s movements to reimagine and challenge the museum’s architectural and cultural history.
The term ‘vagabond’ originally described someone who moved outside the bounds of conventional classification — a figure who passed freely, without obstruction or comment, between different parts of a city, cultures, or social orders. They facilitated the fluid movement essential to free trade, and it’s striking how many of these agents of the “black economy” had black skin.
Filmed in Sir John Soane’s Museum, London the work draws on the building’s eclectic, unconventional design to explore themes of movement and identity. Soane’s museum, once seen as eccentric, is now celebrated for its eclecticism, much like the term “vagabond” which once described a free mover between categories, but now connotes criminality. Julien connects this idea with the “black economy,” highlighting the role of Black people in facilitating free trade and challenging societal boundaries. It’s a reflection on how time shifts meanings of identity, movement, and belonging.
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After its initial presentation, Vagabondia was featured in Cinerama, a significant exhibition that also included The Long Road to Mazatlán—a three-screen installation that was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2000. Together, these works underscore Julien’s mastery in blending choreography, cinematic language, and intricate sound design to explore complex themes of desire, diaspora, and cultural memory.
Vagabondia was commissioned and produced by Film and Video Umbrella as part of the Cinerama project, developed in partnership with Cornerhouse and supported by the National Touring Programme of Arts Council England. Additional support was provided by the British Council and Dance Umbrella. Special thanks to the London Film and Video Development Agency, Victoria Miro Gallery, and Rosa de la Cruz. The Long Road to Mazatlán was commissioned by Artpace (Texas) and Grand Arts (Kansas City), with further support from the London Arts Board and Arts Council England.
