Isaac Julien’s new nine-screen installation TEN THOUSAND WAVES received its world premiere at the Sydney Biennale in May, followed by its Chinese premiere in Shanghai to coincide with Expo 2010, its Scandinavian premiere at the Kunstalle, Helsinki and its UK premiere at the Hayward Gallery, London in October.
TEN THOUSAND WAVES features Maggie Cheung, Zhao Tao, Yang Fudong, and poems by Wang Ping as commissioned by Julien and was shot on location in China.
The work poetically weaves together stories linking China’s ancient past and present. Through an architectural installation the work explores the movement of people across countries
and continents and meditates on
unfinished journeys.
WORLD PREMIERE
Sydney Biennale, Cockatoo Island,
12 May – 1 August 2010
Curated by David Elliott
For the work’s world premiere at the Sydney Biennale in May 2010, TEN THOUSAND WAVES was installed on Cockatoo Island – the largest island in Sydney Harbour and Australia’s most unusual urban park.
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
10 June – 10 July 2010
Photographic and light box works from the Ten Thousand Waves series.
CHINESE PREMIERE
ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai,
21 May – 20 June 2010
TEN THOUSAND WAVES was shown in Shanghai to coincide with the Shanghai Expo.
THE TALE OF YISHAN ISLAND
Reina Sofia, Madrid
14 June 2010
Collaboration with composer Maria de Alvear.
SCANDINAVIAN PREMIERE
Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland
21 August – 10 October 2010
TEN THOUSAND WAVES will show as part of the
Helsinki Festival.
UK PREMIERE
Hayward Gallery, London,
13 October 2010 – 9 January 2011
Curated by Stephanie Rosenthal
TEN THOUSAND WAVES will be included in the show ‘Move: Choreographing You’.
Victoria Miro Gallery, London
October 2010
Photographic and light box works from the Ten Thousand Waves series.