This October Lazarides Rathbone welcomes Parisian artist and TED Prize winner JR back to London with an exhibition of all new work from the acclaimed series of Les Bosquets (2014–present) and Unframed Ellis Island (2014–present). Taking place over two floors of the gallery, the showcase will feature a mix of colour prints as well as the artist's signature wood mounted monochromatic paper pieces. Visitors will be invited to experience the world of JR through the juxtaposition of these two unique series of all new work.
The Unframed Ellis Island project seeks to commemorate the stories of millions of immigrants who entered the United States via Ellis Island. Collecting source materials from the Ellis Island archives, JR created a series of installations that bring to life the chronicles of those coming from all over the world. The resulting series of works highlight the enduring spirit of these immigrants whose presence has shaped the modern world.
In 2014 JR was invited by the New York City Ballet to create a large-scale art installation in collaboration with the Company dancers for their 2014 Art Series. Following the success of these installations, JR launched Les Bosquets in collaboration with the New York City Ballet making his debut as a choreographer. Succeeding this NYC-based ballet series, JR produced a unique photographic series of the Opéra de Paris ballet dancers shot on the roof of the Paris Opera house. JR's new series of artworks featuring Les Bosquets draws from images of these interventions in New York and Paris.
Coinciding with his exhibition at the gallery, the short film Les Bosquets is set to premiere in London. Inspired by the 2005 riots in the French ghettos, JR reveals his experience within the community of the Bosquets in Montfermeil, where his first art project, Portrait of a Generation, took place. The combination of video archive, choreography and personal testimony takes us to a place where art, social uproar and the power of image collide.
In conjunction with the exhibition and film release, on the 12th OctoberPhaidon are launching a definitive retrospective monograph on JR's work as an artist-photographer and his cross-media participatory practice.
