IN CONVERSATION WITH JULIANKNXX
interview by NIA TOPALOVA
Julianknxx is a poet, artist, and filmmaker, known for his extensive research and commitment to (re)visiting places and people for collaboration. He transforms sound into material, inviting audiences to consider how memory, language, and culture echo through generations.
On 27 February 2025 at 18:30, Julianknxx will present his new multi-screen film installation Manifestation #54: Shifting / Spirit / Time at Buro Stedelijk. For more information visit https://burostedelijk.nl/about/press/ .
Your artistic expression is deeply rooted in poetry. I’m interested to find out more about your creative process behind transforming poetry into visuals. Do you usually follow a specific structure, or do you prefer to be more fluid when it comes to creating?
I started off in poetry – writing was my first way of presenting ideas or stories. It wasn’t that I wanted to be a multidisciplinary artist, it was more – in what other ways can you tell these stories? How can we bring other people into a space where they don’t have to engage with the work in the ways that “society” tells us to? The process is varied, though the language that we use back home in Sierra Leone is a constant site of return for me. As I grow older, I find myself experimenting more, incorporating the practices of my grandparents and elders. They’d tell a story, break out into a song, into prayer, and then come back into the story.
Can you share more details about your upcoming installation Manifestation #54: Shifting / Spirit / Time? What should we expect from it?
I seem to always gravitate back to the Netherlands with Shifting / Spirit / Time marking my fourth return to Amsterdam. My relationship with this city began with a residency with WePresent in 2021 which culminated in a performance at the Stedelijk Museum. Returning now with BURO Stedelijk feels particularly meaningful, with Shifting / Spirit / Time evolving from my earlier performance Chorus in Flight. Presenting it into a new physical form is an artistic response that not only serves as documentation, but takes shape into a new installation work.
I find myself continually drawn to the Netherlands – not just for its historical and archival depths, but the ways it invites us to rethink and hold our stories. In my conversations with Quincy Gario during my research in Amsterdam, he spoke about the multiple ways in which Black people have come into the Netherlands and their shared experiences. What does it mean to care for lost lives and do we remember the past with tenderness?
You draw a lot on West African traditions, historical and cultural narratives. What makes these topics so dear to you?
Our perception of the world is intricately tied to our personal experiences and backgrounds. Sierra Leone is a place where storytelling holds a central role in all aspects of life – from ceremonial events to family gatherings; these stories, brimming with life, depth, and emotion, are part of my identity. My pursuit of creating and finding language and images is a direct reflection of my west African heritage. Moving to England and adjusting to a new environment posed its challenges, and it was during these early years that I turned to poetry as a means to articulate my experiences and navigate the complexities of not entirely belonging and fitting in.
Do you have any special rituals you like to do before performing or showing your work to the public?
I do, but it’s my personal practice which involves not just preparing myself, but preparing a way into the work for myself and my collaborators.
What are your aspirations for the upcoming year?
I’m excited about the work I am doing with BURO Stedelijk, it marks an important moment in my practice. In the coming years, I plan to go deeper into my exploration of physical form to transform language – shifting poetry into objects and finding new ways to capture the spirit in space.
