“It’s an amazing history of American cinema that’s never been revealed to the public and it’s certainly never been the subject of such a significant exhibition of this kind in the Academy. It marks a particular moment,” he said. “It’s wonderful to come here and to be able to have [the visual arts and Black cinema history] in conversation”, said Isaac Julien for the Guardian.
Isaac Julien's Baltimore at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles
August 22, 2022
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles opened its new exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971 which explores the visual culture of Black cinema in its manifold expressions, from its early days to just after the civil rights movement, and features Isaac Julien's three-screen installation Baltimore (2003).
This exhibition is an in-depth look at Black participation in American filmmaking and it highlights the work of African American filmmakers and creates dialogues with visual artists while simultaneously expanding discussions surrounding US film history.
In a review for The Guardian, Jireh Deng writes that the "Baltimore is a nod to the “Blaxploitation” work of Melvin Van Peebles of the 1970s that were independent, budget-friendly films by Black artists for Black audiences. For Julien, seeing Regeneration is both an emotional and landmark experience".
This exhibition is an in-depth look at Black participation in American filmmaking and it highlights the work of African American filmmakers and creates dialogues with visual artists while simultaneously expanding discussions surrounding US film history.
In a review for The Guardian, Jireh Deng writes that the "Baltimore is a nod to the “Blaxploitation” work of Melvin Van Peebles of the 1970s that were independent, budget-friendly films by Black artists for Black audiences. For Julien, seeing Regeneration is both an emotional and landmark experience".
