His first major solo exhibition in our country, with an itinerary which spans in 4.000 square meters
One of the most compelling contemporary artists is showing at the Gallerie d’Italia in Turin with works from his latest monumental project, “Déplacé∙e∙s.”. Intesa Sanpaolo is organizing the French artist’s first major solo exhibition by staging large- format canvases chronicling a series of journeys to the countries currently most scarred by crisis and war. From the Ukraine ravaged by more than a year of armed conflict to the endless refugee camps in Mugombwa, Rwanda; Mbera, Mauritania; Cùcuta, Colombia and Lesbos, Greece.
FOR JR, ART IS A MISSION. HE KNOWS THAT DEALING WITH UNCOMFORTABLE TOPICS ALSO MEANS SUFFERING FIERCE ATTACKS
It is a journey that also makes us aware about lesser known but equally precarious situations, to reflect on the future of thousands of people who today have no access to clean water or medicine and who suffer the devastating effects of climate change as well as cold and hunger. These are reflections that go beyond art itself but that only art is able to highlight in an alternative way. JR understood, like Banksy, that art has a mission and that dealing with certain issues means inconveniencing the public and also suffering fierce attacks. Art as a mass medium has the advantage of being able to address hot topics without creating too much tension.
HE USES PHOTOGRAPHY, DISTORTS IT, COLOURS IT, MAGNIFIES IT, AND MAKES IT SPEAK ELOQUENTLY
How many people do not want to look at what is happening around them out of shame, a sense of helplessness or lack of interest? You cannot break through to these people with a news broadcast or an article in a magazine, but you are only able to through a language that now, thanks precisely to artists like JR, is able to go viral on social networks while maintaining that aura of beauty that art still carries.
HIS GAZE FOCUSES ON BURNING CURRENT ISSUES SUCH AS WAR, CLIMATE CHANGE, DROUGHT AND HUNGER
JR uses photography, distorts it, colours it, magnifies it, and through these steps makes it speak eloquently. The message is always direct and never masked by catchphrases, although on occasion he too has been bewitched by the appeal of political correctness. His ability to involve people from all over the world in his performances is something unique on the international scene, and this exhibition aims to bring him back to Italy, after his last public installation organized on the occasion of the Venice Biennale 2022. The more than 4,000 square meters museum space located in Piazza San Carlo will host JR’s exhibition curated by Arturo Galansino until July 16.
