Isaac Julien’s film installation, Ten Thousand Waves (2010) displayed in the Artruim of MoMA is projected onto a nine double-sided screens that allows the viewer the ability to move between screens through the dynamic space. The installation’s massive environment in the Artruim plays with the idea of movement and verticality, including sequenced moving images surrounded with sound and music of both Eastern and Western traditions staged in old and contemporary streets of Shanghai. Julien utilizes actors with cinematic qualities that reenact Chinese culture with its ancient myths through film making production. Through out the film Julien captures movement through the city of Shanghai, a fisherman lost in the sea and a women levitating and floating around which represents the fable of a goddess Mazu. The characters notion of movement in and out the screen is eye catching through the sequenced moving images of Shanghai’s environment revealing vibrant colors and literature that decorates the city. These moving images play as if it is one big screen through out the nine double-sided screen projection as the staged environment and actors move to one screen to the other. This notion of movement is very unique where these qualities aren’t viewed in cinematic theaters. In theaters the viewer is absolutely fixed in one position where as in this space the viewer can foam freely through the cinematic effect in Issac Julien’s film installation.
Screens and Screenings 