Isaac Julien's film at Cosmic House: kitsch, bombastic meditation on connection
Isaac Julien's 25-minute film is now on view at the Cosmic House in London, the former home of postmodernist theorist Charles Jencks and garden designer Maggie Keswick. The house, transformed from 1978 into a cosmic-themed Victorian townhouse, features a 'solar stair' with 52 steps spiraling from a 'black hole' through four floors. Julien's film, displayed on a single screen amid standing mirrors, stars Sheila Atim and Gwendoline Christie, and is described as wildly excessive, unrepentantly intellectual, and thoroughly kitsch. The work meditates on human connection, incorporating a cyborg starfish.
Key facts
- Isaac Julien's 25-minute film is at Cosmic House, London.
- Cosmic House was transformed by Charles Jencks and Maggie Keswick starting in 1978.
- The house has a 'solar stair' with 52 steps spiraling from a 'black hole'.
- The film features Sheila Atim and Gwendoline Christie.
- The work is described as kitsch, bombastic, and a meditation on human connection.
- The film includes a cyborg starfish.
- Display is on a single screen surrounded by standing mirrors.
Entities
Artists
- Isaac Julien
- Charles Jencks
- Maggie Keswick
- Sheila Atim
- Gwendoline Christie
Institutions
- Cosmic House
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom