Film, video installation, photography and sound: Isaac Julien
Vagabondia is a film installation by Sir Isaac Julien CBE RA (b. 1960, London), whose practice combines poetic visual storytelling with critical explorations of Black identity, history, migration and place. Bringing together cinematic composition, choreography and sound, Julien expands the possibilities of film within contemporary art.
Originally commissioned for Retrace Your Steps: Remember Tomorrow, curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Cerith Wyn Evans at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, the work follows a wandering dancer through the museum’s atmospheric interiors. Through movement and the encounter between body and architecture, Julien explores presence, absence and the residues of history, questioning how cultural memory and institutional narratives shape ideas of identity and belonging.
The title refers to the figure of the vagabond, whose movement across social and cultural boundaries challenges established classifications. Connecting this figure to the concept of the ‘black economy’, Julien reflects on the relationship between mobility, trade and social exclusion. Vagabondia was later included in Cinerama, alongside Julien’s three-screen installation *The Long Road to Mazatlán*, extending his exploration of diaspora, desire and the movement of bodies through space.
Sir Isaac Julien (b. 1960, London) is a British artist and filmmaker whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses film, video, photography and installation. His work explores race, sexuality, migration, memory and identity through poetic, multi-screen installations combining cinematic storytelling, choreography and sound. He co-founded the Sankofa Film and Video Collective in 1983. Major works include Looking for Langston (1989), Ten Thousand Waves (2010), Playtime (2014) and Lessons of the Hour (2019).
Julien has exhibited internationally at institutions including Tate Britain, MoMA, Centre Pompidou and the Venice Biennale. Recent exhibitions include I Dream a World at the de Young Museum, San Francisco (2025), and All That Changes You. Metamorphosis, presented at Palazzo Te, Mantua, in 2025 and Galleria Borghese, Rome, in 2026.
Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2001, Julien was awarded a CBE in 2017 and elected a Royal Academician in 2022.
Year: 2000
Artist: Isaac Julien
Work: Vagabondia
Commissioned and produced by: Film and Video Umbrella
Film Location: Sir John Soane’s Museum, London
Exhibition: Cinerama
Developed in partnership with: Cornerhouse
Supported by: National Touring Programme, Arts Council England; British Council; Dance Umbrella
Additional support: London Film and Video Development Agency; Victoria Miro Gallery; Rosa de la Cruz
Format: Film installation
Country: United Kingdom