Filmmaker Isaac Julien received the Kaiserring in Goslar on Saturday. The British artist traveled from London for the award, as the city of Goslar announced. The jury emphasized the wide range of topics in the work of the 62-year-old. The award was presented in the historic Imperial Palace building, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
According to the jury’s statement, the filmmaker breaks down the boundaries between different artistic disciplines and combines them into a visual narrative that is highly sensual. “I have dedicated my work over the past four decades to bringing together the various artistic disciplines with the help of the aesthetics of the moving image,” said Isaac Julien in his speech, which was held in English. He was surprised and grateful when he found out about the award.
Julien had created artistically outstanding works on the subject of racism long before “Black Lives Matter”, said laudator Wulf Herzogenrath from the Berlin Academy of Arts.
Julien covers a wide range of topics
Art and culture have always been fundamental to social discourse, said Goslar’s Mayor Urte Schwerdtner. “So does Sir Isaac Julien by addressing the issues of racism, diversity, homophobia and many other socially relevant issues.”
After receiving the award, Julien opened an exhibition at the Mönchehaus Museum showing two of his films and a number of photographic works. It can be seen until January 29, 2023.
The artist, who lives and works in London, produces films for cinema and television as well as works for art museums and galleries. He has been a member of the renowned British Film Academy Bafta for over 20 years.
The undoped Kaiserring is one of the most important prizes for modern art in Germany. The city of Goslar has been awarding it every October since 1975. The ring consists of an aquamarine set in gold and engraved with the seal of Emperor Heinrich IV.
