Isaac Julien, Museum Dreams retrospective in Bergamo
Published on 08/31/2026 at 17:47 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Isaac Julien leads a major retrospective in Bergamo this year. The exhibition Museum Dreams at gres art 671 runs from April 10 to October 4, 2026, as the Bergamo space states in its official announcement.
The Bergamo retrospective
Museum Dreams at gres art 671 is described as the first major retrospective in Italy dedicated to Isaac Julien, bringing together five large-scale film installations across more than three decades of his practice, according to the Bergamo institution.
The show has been conceived specifically for the architectural and conceptual structure of the former industrial space, with opening hours from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and ticket prices starting at 12.00 euros, as detailed by gres art 671.
Parallel exhibitions and installations
Alongside Bergamo, Isaac Julien’s moving image installation Lessons of the Hour – Frederick Douglass has been on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., from December 8, 2023 to August 9, 2026, underscoring the international reach of his work.
In Miami Beach, the Bass Museum lists Vagabondia as a current exhibition running from August 20, 2025 to November 23, 2026, further extending Julien’s presence across major institutions.
All news and background on Isaac Julien
For further coverage of Isaac Julien’s exhibitions, installations and institutional projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional news items and context.
The work core and moving images
Isaac Julien works primarily with multi-screen film installations that combine cinema, photography, sound and architecture, often presented as large, immersive environments that invite viewers to move physically through narrative fragments.
Key bodies of work include Lessons of the Hour – Frederick Douglass, the five-screen installation All That Changes You. Metamorphosis, and earlier projects such as Western Union: Small Boats, which examine migration, history and the politics of representation through a choreographed camera.
Current state of the practice
Within the present 30-day window Isaac Julien’s large-scale installations remain actively on view in institutional contexts, with Museum Dreams in Bergamo and exhibitions such as Vagabondia at the Bass continuing their runs.
Isaac Julien at a glance
- Artist: Isaac Julien
- Medium / Genre: Film installation and moving-image art
- Born: 1960, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio-based practice between London and international exhibition venues
- Active since: 1980s, with recognition from the 1990s onward
- Key work groups: Lessons of the Hour – Frederick Douglass, All That Changes You. Metamorphosis, Western Union: Small Boats, Vagabondia
- Current/last exhibition: Museum Dreams, gres art 671, Bergamo, April 10–October 4, 2026
- Major collections: Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.), The Bass (Miami Beach), Royal Academy of Arts (London)
- Awards: Turner Prize nomination, appointment as CBE and Royal Academician
- Next date: Ongoing run of Museum Dreams in Bergamo within the current 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Isaac Julien
Where is Isaac Julien’s work currently on view?
Isaac Julien’s installations are on view in Museum Dreams at gres art 671 in Bergamo through October 4, 2026, and in institutional exhibitions such as Vagabondia at the Bass in Miami Beach.
What defines the exhibition Museum Dreams in Bergamo?
Museum Dreams brings together five major, large-scale film installations from more than three decades of Isaac Julien’s practice, designed specifically for the spatial and conceptual setting of gres art 671.
Which key installation by Isaac Julien has recently been shown in Washington, D.C.?
Smithsonian American Art Museum has exhibited Lessons of the Hour – Frederick Douglass from December 8, 2023 to August 9, 2026, presenting the work as a multi-screen moving-image installation.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
