About JR

Biography

JR has the largest art gallery in the world. Thanks to his photographic collage technique, he exhibits his work free of charge on the walls of the whole world – attracting the attention of those who do not usually go to museums.

Originator of the 28 Millimeters Project which he started in and around Clichy-Montfermeil in 2004, continued in the Middle East with Face 2 Face (2007), in Brazil and Kenya for Women Are Heroes (2008-2011), the documentary for which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010 (Critics' Week).

JR makes his TED Prize wish public at the TED 2011 conference

JR au Louvre, 2016

JR has created "Infiltrating art". During his collage activities, the local communities take part in the act of artistic creation, with no stage separating actors from spectators. The anonymity of JR and the absence of any explanation accompanying his huge portraits leave him with a free space in which issues and actors, performers and passers-by meet, forming the essence of his work.

In 2011 he received the Ted Prize, giving him the opportunity to make a vow to change the world. He created Inside Out, an international participatory art project that allows people from around the world to receive a print of their portrait and then billboard it as support for an idea, a project, an action and share that experience.

In 2014, working with the New York City Ballet, he used the language of dance to tell his version of the riots in the Clichy-Montfermeil district. He created The Groves, a ballet and short film, the music for which was composed by Woodkid, Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams, and which was presented at the Tribeca Film Festival.

At the same time, JR worked in the abandoned hospital of Ellis Island, an important place in the history of immigration – and made the short film ELLIS, with Robert De Niro.

In 2016, JR was invited by the Louvre, whose pyramid he made disappear the with the help of an astonishing anamorphosis. The same year, during the Olympic Games in Rio, he created gigantic new sculptural installations throughout the city, to underline the beauty of the sporting gesture.

Agnès Varda and JR, FACES, PLACES - 2017

Agnès Varda and JR, FACES, PLACES - 2017

JR & Agnès Varda - Faces, Places.

In 2017, he co-directed with Agnès Varda "Faces, Place"s, screened the same year in the official selection out of competition for the Cannes Film Festival. The film won the Golden Eye (for best documentary) and was nominated for a Caesar and an Oscar in the same category in 2018. He has received other awards around the world.

"Unveiling", Seoul, 2019. Exhibition view. Courtesy Perrotin. Photographer: Claire Dorn

In 2013, the first retrospectives of JR's work took place in Tokyo (at the Watari-Um Museum) and the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, followed by exhibitions at the Frieder Burda Museum in Baden Baden in 2014, and at the HOCA Foundation in Hong Kong in 2015. He exhibited in 2018 at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and in 2019 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Brooklyn Museum.

JR is represented by Perrotin, PACE Gallery, Galleria Continua and Nara Roesler.

Bibliography

2023 - Artist Until I Find a Real Job

Atelier JR

2023 - JR / Déplacé·e·s

Skira

2022 - JR Chronicles

Hirmer Verlag Publishers

2021 - JR Chronicles

W BOOKS

2021 - JR. La Ferita / The Wound

Marsilio Editori

2021 - How old am I ?

Phaidon

2020 - JR / Tehachapi

Maison CF

2019 – JR : Chronicles

Maison CF

2019 – Wrinkles

Phaidon

2019 – JR : Can Art Change the World?

Revised and expanded edition, Phaidon

2019 – JR : The Chronicles of New York City

Chronicles Books

2019 – JR : The Chronicles of San Francisco

Chronicles Books

2018 – JR : Momentum, la mécanique de l'épreuve

Maison CF

2018 – JR Giants : OG Rio

Actes Sud

2018 – Time Magazine, Guns in America

November 5 2018

2018 – Reporter Sans Frontières

JR 100 photos pour la liberté de la presse, Numéro 58

2017 – Inside Out

Rizzoli

2015 – JR : Can Art Change the World?

Phaidon

2015 – The Ghost of Ellis Island

Damiani

2015 – Dans l’objectif de JR

Pour les 11-15 ans, publié par Pyramides Éditions

2015 – Wrinkles of the City

Des rides et des villes, Editions Alternatives

2014 – Instaphotographers 2014

JR et 49 autres photographes instagrameurs. Jérémy Leclerc

2013 – Unframed Belle de mai

Marseille, Editions Alternatives

2012 – Wrinkles of the City - Los Angeles

JR + Louise Berrebi, Drago

2012 – Wrinkles of the City - La Havana

JR + José Parlá, Damiani

2012 – Wrinkles of the City – Shanghai

Drago

2011 – Artocratie en Tunisie

JR + Marco Berrebi, Éditions Alternatives

2011 – 28 Millimètres

Editions Alternatives

2010 – Wrinkles of the City - Shanghai

Drago

2010 – Design&Designer

Éditions Pyramyd, no 075

2010 – 28 Millimètres

Women are Heroes by JR, Éditions Alternatives, 2nd Édition

2010 – Beyond the Street

« The 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art »'', Éditions Gestalten

2010 – Hors Série #4

Trois Couleurs, Numéro Spécial JR, Édité par MK2, 2010

2009 – 28 Millimètres

Women are Heroes by JR, Éditions Alternatives

2008 – Los Surcos de la Ciudad

Drago

2007 – Face 2 Face

Éditions Alternatives

2005 – Portrait d'une Génération

Éditions Alternatives

2004 – Carnet de Rue

Édition Free Presse

Filmography

2022 - The Past Goes Fast

2021 - Paper & Glue

2020 - Omelia Contadina

Codirected with Alice Rohrwacher

2017 – Faces Places

Codirected with Agnes Varda

2017 – Chroniques de Clichy Montfermeil

Codirected with Ladj Ly

2015 – Ellis

2015 – The Standing March

2014 – Rivages

Directed by Guillaume Cagniard

2014 – Les Bosquets

2013 – Inside Out

The people’s art project, directed by Alastair Siddons

2013 – Wrinkles of the City

Havana Cuba, codirected with José Parla

2011 – Women are Heroes

Exhibitions

2023 - Galleria Continua - "La Ferita"

Rome, Italy

2023 - Lotte Museum of Art - "JR: Chronicles"

Seoul, South Korea

2023 - Nara Roesler - "O papel da mão"

São Paulo, Brazil

2023 - Perrotin - "LES ENFANTS D’OURANOS"

New York City, USA

2023 - Gallerie d'Italia - "Déplacé·e·s"

Turin, Italy

2022 - Kunsthalle München - "JR: Chronicles"

Munich, Germany

2021 - Groninger Museum - "JR: Chronicles"

Groningen, Netherlands

2021 - Perrotin - "Contretemps"

Tokyo, Japan

2021 - Simon Studer Art - "Black and White"

Geneva, Switzerland

2021 - Saatchi Gallery - "JR: Chronicles"

London, UK

2021 - Pace - "JR: Eye to the World"

London, UK

2021 - Galleria Continua - "Truc à faire", curated by JR

Paris, France

2020 - NGV Triennial - "Homily to Country"

Melbourne, Australia

2020 - Galleria Continua - "Omelia Contadina"

San Gimignano, Italy

2020 - Perrotin - "Tehachapi"

Paris, France

2019 - Nara Roesler - "Patamar"

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2019 - Brooklyn Museum – "JR: Chronicles"

New York, NY, USA 

2019 - Perrotin - "The Chronicles of New York City – Sketches"

New York, NY, USA 

2019 - Musée du Louvre "JR au Louvre & le secret de la grande pyramide"

Paris, France

2019 - SFMOMA - "The Chronicles of San Francisco"

San Francisco, CA, USA

2019 - Pace - "The Chronicles of San Francisco - Sketches"

Palo Alto, CA, USA

2019 - Perrotin- "Unveiling"

Seoul, South Korea 

2018 - Maison Européenne de la Photographie - "MOMENTUM. La Mécanique de l'Épreuve"

Paris, France

2018 - Perrotin - "Horizontal"

New York, NY, USA

2018 - J1 - "Amor Fati"

Marseille, France

2018 - Armory, Pier 94 - "So Close"

New York, NY, USA

2018 - Lazinc Gallery - "Giants - Body of Work"

London, UK

2017 - Château La Coste - "Mind the Gap"

Le Puy Ste Réparade, France 

2017 - Palais de Tokyo - "Chroniques de Clichy-Montfermeil"

Paris, France

2017 - Galerie Perrotin - "Wrinkles of the City Istanbul"

Paris, France

2017 - Springmann Gallery - "The Wrinkles of the City, Istanbul – Body of Work"

Berlin, Germany

2016 - Centre Pompidou, GALERIE DES ENFANTS - "VOUS ÊTES ICI"

Paris, France

2016 - Musée du Louvre - "JR au Louvre"

Paris, France

2015 - Watari-Um Museum - "JR's Picture Show. 24 Frames per Second"

Tokyo, Japan

2015 - Perrotin - "DECADE. Portrait d'une génération"

Paris, France,

2015 - Tri Postal Lille - "Unframed : La Voix du Nord"

Lille, France

2015 - Lazarides Rathbone - "Crossing"

London, UK

2015 - Nuit Blanche Toronto - "JR Black and White Night"

Toronto, Canada

2015 - Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, HOCA - "A Survey Exhibition"

Hong Kong, China

2015 - Galerie Perrotin - "Ghosts of Ellis Island"

Hong Kong, China

2015 - Centro de Arte Contemporaneo, CAC Malaga - "Uprising - An Inside Out project"

Malaga, Spain

2014 - Frieder Burda Museum - "JR"

Baden-Baden, Germany

2014 - Magda Danysz Gallery - "Close up"

Shanghai, China

2014 - Power Station of Art - "CLOSE-UP SHANGHAI - A PROJECT BY JR"

Shanghai, China

2014 - Dallas Contemporary - "Inside Out"

Dallas, TX, USA

2013 - Contemporary Arts Center - "JR"

Cincinnati, OH, USA

2013 - Watari-Um Museum 

Tokyo, Japan

2013 - SPRINGMANN GALLERY - "The Wrinkles of the City, Berlin"

Berlin, Germany

2013 - Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery - "The Wrinkles of the City, Havana" JR & José Parla

New York, NY, USA

2013 - Lazarides Rathbone - "Actions"

London, UK

2013 - Belle de Mai - "Unframed"

Marseille, France

2012 - Galerie Perrotin - "Pattern"

Hong Kong, China

2012 - Festival Images

Vevey, Switzerland

2011 - Miami Art Basel, Galerie Perrotin - "Wall & Paper"

Miami, FL, USA

2011 - Centre Pompidou - Photo Booth installation

Paris, France

2011 - Galerie Perrotin - "Encrages"

Paris, France

2011 - MOCA - Art in the streets

Los Angeles, CA, USA

2011 - Emirati Expressions

Abu Dhabi, UAE

2011 - Les Rencontres d'Arles

Arles, France

2010 - Contemporary Art Biennal, in collaboration with Magda Danysz 

Shanghai, China

2010 - Musée de l'Elysée, Festival Images - "Unframed"

Vevey, Switzerland

2010 - Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego - "VIVA LA REVOLUCION: A DIALOGUE WITH THE URBAN LANDSCAPE"

San Diego, CA, USA

2010 - Lazarides Gallery - "Outsiders"

Los Angeles, CA, USA

2010 - Springmann Gallery - "Women are Heroes"

Dusseldorf, Germany

2009 - Ile Saint-Louis, Pavillon de l'Arsenal, Mairie du 4e arrondissement - "Women are Heroes"

Paris, France

2009 - Les Rencontres d'Arles

Arles, France

2009 - CASA FRANÇA BRASIL

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

2008 - Tate Modern - Street Art exhibition

London, UK

2008 - Musée Rath

Geneva, Switzerland

2008 - The Wrinkles of The City, Los Surcos de la Ciudad

Cartagena, Spain

2008 - Action In Brussels - "Women are Heroes"

Brussels, Belgium

2008 - Lazarides Gallery - "28 Millimetres: Women"

London, UK

2007 - Les Rencontres d'Arles

Arles, France

2007 - FOAM Museum

Amsterdam, Netherlands

2007 - La Biennale Arte di Venezia, Arsenal

Venice, Italy

2007 - Artitud

Berlin, Germany

2007 - Artcurial

Paris, France

2006 - Performance - "JR and co"

Wuppertal, Germany

2006 - Parvis de l'Hôtel de Ville de Paris

Paris, France

2006 - 11 Spring - "Sidewalk Gallery"

Manhattan, NY, USA

2006 - Murs de la Maison Européenne de la Photographie

Paris, France

2006 - Murs de l'Espace des Blancs Manteaux

Paris, France

2005 - CircleCulture

Berlin, Germany

2005 - Montanashop

Barcelona, Spain

2005 - Les Muses

Paris, France

2004 - The Arcade

Manhattan, NY, USA

2003 - La Loge

Paris, France