Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/666019
While Isaac Julien is best known for his documentary- style video installations, the artist is also an avid photographer. In a new show at Jessica Silverman Gallery, three decades of stills by Julien are on display through June 11, including shots from Looking for Langston, one of the artist's seminal films. Frozen in time, these powerful images capture the energy of Julien's visual activism through the years. jessicasilvermangallery.com Art and design, fantasy and reality create surprising combinations at Art Lexïng's exhibition "Ceci n'est pas une peinture (This Is Not a Painting)," featuring the work of contemporary illusionists like Zheng Jiang, Quentin Shih and Ye Hongxing. Fashion house Maison Margiela and Japanese design firm YOY round out the mix. Turning mediums on their heads, these creatives share a willingness to push beyond the everyday into something more surreal. The show's namesake, René Magritte, would approve. On view May 9 through June 20. artlexing.com 1 2 YOY and Pianoprimo's Blow, 2012 Julien's Looking for Langston: Film Noir Angels, 1989 IMAGES COURTESY OF ART LEXING; COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND JESSICA SILVERMAN GALLERY 80 culturedmag.com