JR's New Frontier: From Photography to Film

JR, born in 1983, is an artist who emerged from the street art scene. He gained recognition for his graffiti art, pasting enormous photographs onto outdoor buildings and streets. He is particularly known for his work photographing people living amidst poverty, oppression, and discrimination, and then displaying these images with the local communities on walls.

In recent years, JR has been focusing his energy on video works. This exhibition features pieces primarily from the video works he has released between last year and this year.

Among these, 'ELLIS' is a short film themed around Ellis Island, located next to the Statue of Liberty in New York, which once served as an entry point for immigrants. It juxtaposes portraits of past patients and staff on the walls and floors of the now-abandoned immigration hospital, with actor Robert De Niro, who has immigrant roots, playing a role as a spectral figure who arrived as an immigrant but was denied entry.



Additionally, 'Les Bosquets,' featuring New York City Ballet dancers performing in polka-dot tights designed by JR, addresses the 2005 riots in the Paris suburbs, an event JR himself experienced. The latest project from his signature series 'Women Are Heroes,' titled 'Rivages,' will also be screened.

This marks JR's new frontier, extending from photography into film. Yet, underlying it all is JR's consistent philosophy: 'My work is about connecting people through art.'

'24fps - JR's Film' Exhibition
Dates: November 8 (Sun) - 29 (Sun) *Closed Mondays, except November 23.
Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 *Wednesdays until 21:00
Venue: Watari-um Museum of Contemporary Art
3-7-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults ¥1000, Students (under 25) ¥800, Elementary/Middle School Students ¥500, Seniors (70+) ¥700