A Global Project by JR
JR exhibits his photographs in the biggest art gallery on the planet. His work is presented freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not necessarily museum visitors. His work mixes Art and Action; it talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit. Known for his large-scale photographic works around the globe, always with a social cause and message in mind, the artist has just released his new book – ‘Women Are Heroes: A Global Project by JR’.
Book Cover of Women Are Heroes: A Global Project by JR, 2012, Published by/Available through Abrams
“Guerilla street artist JR traveled to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, India, and Cambodia to seek out women struggling in their everyday lives and, in his words, “to take their stories around the world.” Pasting mural-size portraits of his subjects into their own communities—on the sides of buildings, on trains, on bridges—he brings a haunting human presence to harsh environments of social conflict. His photographs of the vast outdoor “exhibitions” that he creates are iconic images celebrating the worth of the individual. A beautifully illustrated account of this remarkable project, Women Are Heroes introduces JR’s thrilling imagery of the modern landscape filled with human faces, and also includes his original photographic portraits paired with interviews in which the women share their lives and dreams.”
About
JR creates participatory art projects that he hopes will change the world. He has reinvented public art and given new meaning to the photographic portrait. His work is innovative, using collaborative storytelling techniques, which moves the art of photography in a new and exciting direction, creating an encounter between the subject/protagonist and the passerby/interpreter, while raising questions. His work is about unlocking the power of possibility, revealing our true selves to those who live around us and then sharing those stories far and wide. He is the 2011 winner of the TED Prize.
Marco Berrebi is a producer and technology entrepreneur. Christian Caujolle is a distinguished critic and curator of photography. Françoise Docquiert is a professor of art and cultural studies at the University of Paris.
Women Are Heroes, part of Parisian street photographer JR’s 28 Millimètres project, draws attention to oppressed women everywhere. Chronicling the lives of women from around the globe, from Cambodia to Brazil, London to Los Angeles, the film debuted at Cannes Film Festival 2010 and was released in France on January 12, 2011. For more information on the project, visit the film’s website.
