Installation view of “JR: Outposts” at Perrotin London. (Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley)
Renowned French artist JR began work on Déplacé•e•s in 2022, and later, the complementary Les Enfants d’Ouranos series. Both seek to unveil the tumultuous conditions faced by populations in refugee camps around the world, with a particular focus on children. Three years later, these two projects are still as urgent as they are relevant, as evidenced by a new exhibition at Perrotin’s London gallery.
Titled JR: Outposts, the exhibition spans 15 works pulled from Déplacé•e•s and Les Enfants d’Ouranos, each offering a poignant yet somehow ebullient glimpse into a child’s innocence, aspirations, and hopes in the face of incredible upheaval. Where Les Enfants d’Ouranos is more intimate in scale, Déplacé•e•s is monumental, revolving around 120-foot-long banners that depict young children playfully running about. These banners were carried by groups around refugee camps in countries like Ukraine, Rwanda, and Colombia, and then photographed from above. The results are at once painful and ambitious, juxtaposing the possibility of a carefree childhood with the current reality of global conflict.
Les Enfants d’Ouranos, on the other hand, prioritizes themes of holiness. Named after Ouranos, the primordial Greek god who fathered the Titans, the series envisions children as glowing, almost mystical silhouettes, all set against dark backgrounds. The effect was achieved by transferring negative photographs onto reclaimed wood and reinforcing the compositions with black ink, creating scenes abound with contrasting shades and elements.
“The negative space allows JR to reveal what, until now, has remained invisible: the divinity of children emanating from carefree innocence and ingenuity,” Perrotin writes in a statement about the exhibition. “They become atmospheric portraits imbued with a primordial or mythological quality.”
JR adds: “Each piece features a child who embodies the drive toward the future. The perspective introduces an element of hope in the simplest way possible.”
It’s perhaps fitting, then, that JR: Outposts serves as the inaugural exhibition at Perrotin’s new London space. Situated in the heart of Mayfair, the gallery encompasses a completely refurbished space in Claridge’s, and is nestled right next to the hotel’s ArtSpace Café.
“London has always been a special city for me as it’s the place where I had my first gallery show back in 2008,” JR says. “I’m honored to be the first artist to be showcased in Perrotin’s new space!”
JR: Outposts is currently showing at Perrotin London through May 3, 2025. To plan your own visit, head over to Perrotin’s website.
JR’s newest solo exhibition, JR: Outposts, compiles 15 works from his Déplacé•e•s and Les Enfants d’Ouranos projects.
Installation view of “JR: Outposts” at Perrotin London. (Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley)
JR, “Déplacé.e.s, Valeriia, Iviv, Ukraine,” 2022. (Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli)
JR, “Les Enfants d'Ouranos, Bois #15,” 2022. (Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli)
Both series seek to unveil the tumultuous conditions faced by populations in refugee camps around the world, with a particular focus on children.
JR, “Déplacé.e.s, Thierry #1, Rwanda,” 2022. (Photo: Claire Dorn)
Installation view of “JR: Outposts” at Perrotin London. (Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley)
Installation view of “JR: Outposts” at Perrotin London. (Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley)
JR: Outposts is currently on view at Perrotin London through May 3, 2025.
JR, “Déplacé.e.s, Jamal #2, Mauritanie,” 2022. (Photo: Claire Dom)
Installation view of “JR: Outposts” at Perrotin London. (Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley)
