a procession of train cars above a village depicts 3 large black and white photographs of expressive faces


All images © JR, courtesy of Phaidon, shared with permission

Traveling to different regions across the globe, French artist JR envisions grand projects that call to humanitarian issues and collective action. At the forefront of his practice is a persistent query, rooted in a palpable yearning for change and strong belief in the power of art.

JR: Can Art Change the World? chronicles the artist’s phenomenal range of participatory efforts, from mural-laden buildings to photographic installations to performance art. Originally published in 2015 and later updated in 2019, an even newer edition featuring a half-decade of JR’s latest works is slated for release by Phaidon later this month. The 2024 version includes a whopping 390 photos and illustrations, as well as a foreword by George Lucas.

an aerial view of a collaborative project featuring a massive black and white depiction of a man being carried by many people

Among the four new chapters included in the expansion, you might recognize more recent projects such as “Tehachapi,” a poignant collection of murals focused on the lives of incarcerated individuals, and impressive optical illusions from the artist’s ongoing “Trompe l’œil” series.

Pre-order JR: Can Art Change the World? in the Colossal Shop to be one of the first to page through the monograph.

a depiction of a large black and white crater is installed before the Eiffel Tower, crating an optic illusion
a giant paper depiction of a baby peering over the U.S./Mexico border wall
an aerial view of a collaborative project featuring a massive black and white depiction of a man wearing a suit being carried by many people in the city
an installation of hundreds of black and white faces is attached to the floor of a great hall in a historic building
a two-page spread inside of "JR: Can Art Change the World?"
the cover of "JR: Can Art Change the World?"

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