Isaac Julien, "Ten Thousand Waves," 2010. Installation view, Bass Museum of Art, Miami. Nine-screen installation, 35mm film, transferred to high definition, 9.2 surround sound, 49 ft. x 41 in, Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, London. Photography Peter Haroldt.

On view through March 4, 2012 at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art is the only east coast museum presentation of Isaac Julien’s acclaimed video installation Ten Thousand Waves. The nine-screen installation weaves together stories linking China’s ancient past and present.

Issac Julien is a British artist who has mainly worked in film and video, and has been credited for his path finding work in video installation. Ten Thousand Waves features the actresses Maggie Cheung and Zhao Tao, with the majority of the footage shot in China. The young video artist Yang Fudong, the poet Wang Ping, and the venerable Chinese calligrapher Gong Fagen also appear in the film.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition, the ICA is featuring a selection of Julien’s earlier films, including 2001 Turner Prize–winners The Long Road to Mazatlán (1999) and Vagabondia (2000), as well as the acclaimed poetic documentary, Looking for Langston (1989).

Julien’s previous films will be screened on Sunday, January 29th, and more information about the various programming options can be found at ICABoston.org.