Whitehot Recommends: JR: Can Art Change the World?

3D Bookshot

By WM September 27, 2024

From the press release:

Phaidon is pleased to announce JR: Can Art Change the World?, a revised and expanded edition of the original monograph first published in 2015 and later updated in 2019. Crafted in close collaboration with the artist, this edition includes brand-new projects and commissions while also exploring a wide range of JR’s collaborative projects around the world.

JR. Can Art Change the World? JR, with a foreword by George Lucas,graphic novel by Joseph Remnant, and essays by Nato Thompson and Alice Rohrwacher. Phaidon

JR, the enigmatic artist, imagines the street as the canvas on which to present his socially engaged projects. Monumental and often participatory, his groundbreaking work unites art and social activism, uplifting communities that have been marginalized or misrepresented in the media. By pasting enormous portraits of his subjects in urban areas across the globe, JR amplifies their visibility and allows them to become agents of their own identity. He has collaborated with a myriad of renowned institutions and artists, such as the New York City Ballet, film director Agnès Varda, and TIME Magazine. This new edition will be published as JR’s work is displayed in Stockholm, Paris, Milan, and at the Venice Biennale, as well as in exhibitions at Perrotin in Los Angeles and Shanghai in 2025.

The 2024 edition of JR: Can Art Change the World? will also include a new foreword by the legendary Hollywood filmmaker George Lucas, a specially commissioned graphic novel by comic artist Joseph Remnant, an updated survey essay by Nato Thompson, and a poetic contribution by Italian film director Alice Rohrwacher. These contributors come together to unveil JR’s fascinating story and chronicle his rise as one of the most influential and prolific artists of our time. With a gorgeous new cover, the book comes in a small and affordable package featuring sprayed edges and a wraparound title.

Serving as the definitive monograph on JR’s life and work, JR: Can Art Change the World? is a must-have book that proves how art can impact and engage with our social fabric. WM