The British filmmaker transforms Palazzo Te into a futuristic landscape where art, architecture, and imagination collide.
A Journey Through Time and Space
Isaac Julien debuts his new 10-screen installation, “All That Changes You. Metamorphosis.,” at Mantua’s 16th-century Palazzo Te. The film follows Gwendoline Christie and Sheila Atim as two goddess-like figures traveling through time, architecture, and space—from the palace’s frescoed halls to a glassy spaceship in the English countryside, and even Herzog and de Meuron’s Napa Valley pavilion.
Exploring Humanity and the Future
Julien uses the built environment as a central character, juxtaposing the palace’s grandeur with speculative visions of the future. Drawing inspiration from Donna Haraway and Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, the work examines social inequality, ecological collapse, and interspecies empathy, offering a post-human cosmos where ordinary people unite in collective transformation.
Metamorphosis in Motion
Far from apocalyptic clichés, the installation radiates iridescence and possibility, echoing Giulio Romano’s “Fall of the Giants” frescoes. Julien’s work reminds viewers of the human capacity for imagination, action, and the transformative power of art.
