“The Machine Behind the Art,” superblue, 2023

Conceived specially for Superblue by JR, The Machine Behind the Art: Inside JR’s Printing Press invites visitors to experience the mechanical world crucial to the artist’s practice. The immersive exhibition begins by entering a “secret” door embedded in The Chronicles of Miami mural. As visitors move through the space, they experience one of JR’s famous photo booths and take their black-and-white portraits. The installation continues in what appears to be the interior of an oversized, whirring printing press where the portraits escape from the rollers and float to the ground. Plan your visit here. 

The Machine Behind the Art makes the process of image-making a tangible experience that is at once personal and shared. The exhibition creates a space for individuals to express themselves, while connecting visitors through a collective experience. The portraits, all visually linked through their large-scale black and white format, together build up a disparate but unified community. Witnessing oneself being documented and then becoming part of the realization of an artwork fosters an understanding of art which cannot exist without the active participation of its audience. 

This installation was inspired by the participatory principles of Inside Out, a global art project created by JR that empowers communities to create their own public art installations made of large-scale black and white portraits. Echoing this spirit, this work both continues the legacy of Inside Out and extends the experience of The Chronicles of Miami. Individual self-expression, community participation, exploration, and wonder—all core tenets of JR’s work—find further resonance in The Machine Behind the Art, the artist’s most significant immersive installation to date.