JR, the winner of the 2011 TED Prize, is a French photographer and street artist. It all began between 2004 and 2006 when he created Portrait of a Generation, a series of portraits of suburban “hooligans” pasted in large format in the bourgeois neighborhoods of Paris.
This illegal project was later endorsed by the Paris City Hall, which wrapped its building in his portraits.
His subsequent street art projects maintain the same invasive and protest-driven impact. In 2007, together with Marc Berrebi, he created Face2Face: in the Middle East, the two artists pasted huge photos of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the separation wall.
In 2008, he launched an international tour for Women Are Heroes, a project that highlights the dignity of women who are often targeted during conflicts.
JR displays his images in the world’s largest art gallery. His work is presented freely in the streets across the globe, capturing the attention of people who don’t usually visit museums. His art combines creativity and activism, addressing themes of commitment, freedom, and identity.
Faces that represent the memory of cities and, like in VHILS’ works, denounce the distortions and ambiguities of our society, shouting from the façades of chaotic and subdued metropolises.
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