Julien transforms ARoS' gallery on Level 5 with his latest work, Once Again... (Statues Never Die) (2022). This striking work, which will become part of the museum’s permanent collection, is emblematic of Julien's poetic and multi-layered approach to film installation.
The work presents an evocative portrait of philosopher, writer, and activist Alain Locke (1885–1954), a central figure in the thriving of African American cultural and intellectual life during the Harlem Renaissance. The film installation engages in a dialogue with Locke’s legacy and explores his relationship with one of the 20th century’s most influential collectors of modern and African art in the United States, Albert C. Barnes.
“This work delves into the complex relationship between African art, colonial histories, and the role of museum institutions, positioning the museum as a site for critical inquiry, dialogue and decolonial reflection. Isaac Julien has been a leading voice on the international art stage for decades, and we are thrilled to present his latest work to our audience and welcome him into the ARoS collection,” says ARoS Museum Director Rebecca Matthews.
Once Again... (Statues Never Die) examines the significant and often neglected place of African objects in numerous collections of western art museums. Utilizing strategy of poetic reparation and historical archives — drawing on Julien’s extensive research in the archives of the Barnes Foundation — the work explores the impact of Locke’s political philosophy and cultural organizing activities on Dr. Barnes’s pioneering art collecting.
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter two large screens projecting the film. A mirroring effect on the surrounding walls reflects and multiplies the imagery, at times doubling the scenes and disrupting the viewer’s gaze and immersing them into the installation.
“Once Again... (Statues Never Die) is a poetic tribute to African culture, and I hope it will spark discussions about how we manage cultural objects that have been unjustly removed from their countries of origin throughout history and exhibited in Western museums," says Sir Isaac Julien.
About Sir Isaac Julien
Sir Isaac Julien (b. 1960) is a British artist and filmmaker renowned for his visually arresting film installations. Rising to prominence in the 1980s, he has exhibited internationally at venues including the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Biennial, and Documenta. In 2022, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to art and film.
His current and recent international solo exhibitions include: Isaac Julien: I Dream a World, de Young Museum, San Francisco, USA; Isaac Julien: A Marvellous Entanglement, São Paulo Museum of Art, São Paulo, Brazil; Isaac Julien, Lessons of the Hour, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, 2024; Isaac Julien: What Freedom is to Me, Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht, Netherlands, 2024; K21, Dusseldorf, Germany, 2023; Tate Britain, London, UK, 2023.
Isaac Julien – Once Again... (Statues Never Die) will be on view from 6 September 2025 to 7 June 2026.
The exhibition is curated by Ellen Drude Skeel Langvold and made possible through the generous support of the Augustinus Foundation, The Aage and Ulla Filtenborg Foundation of 8 November and Ege Carpets.
Attached press photos are available via Dropbox and may be used freely with proper credit.
For further information, please contact:
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