JR
March 1–June 29, 2014

Lichtentaler Allee 8b
76530 Baden-Baden Germany
http://www.museum-frieder-burda.de

JR, “UNFRAMED Baden-Baden,” Küferstr. 5, 2014. Photograph. © JR.

The French artist JR (*1983) is one of the most innovative representatives of contemporary art on the international scene. He lives and works in Paris and New York, and he consciously keeps his true identity a secret. He applies his oversized black-and-white photographs in the form of monumental posters to walls worldwide. Thoroughly considering the urban architecture, JRs work adapts cultural and historical contexts and the emotional impact finds expression in the faces of the people in his close-up photographs. Based on this idea, the artist already has carried out large-scale projects in Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Asia.

JR’s most important motivation is interaction with other people. His works raise questions about freedom and identity and in how far art can change people’s perception of themselves and their environment. However, his actions also draw attention to injustice. Characteristic of JR’s art are the stories he tells with his collages and his talent for bringing together isolated worlds. JR creates relationships. He is a conductor who lends a face to anonymous existences or unrecognized and even forgotten stories. In 2011, JR won the TED Prize—the 2007 recipient of the award was Bill Clinton—for his creative visions. “My art does not change the world, but I hope it inspires people to change how they look at the world and at other people,” says JR.