French artist JR opens Perrotin’s new gallery in London Outposts is the inaugural exhibition of Perrotin in London.
Through more than twenty works, the exhibition presents two series of recent ongoing projects of JR: Déplacé·e·s (begun in 2022) shares the stories of refugee children from around the world which giant portraits enlarging on huge banners visible from the sky give these children back their lost identities, and Les Enfants d’Ouranos (Children of Ouranos), building upon Déplacé·e·s, explore through white silhouettes on black painted wood panels the tensions between the visible and invisible. Alongside these series, the exhibition showcases two video screenings that document the series of Déplacé·e·s.
Each panel (x3) : 101.6 x 199.4 cm | 40 x 78 1/2 inches Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli ©JR. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin
“London has always been a special city for me as it’s the place where I’ve had my first gallery show back in 2008. I’m honored to be the first artist to be showcased at Perrotin’s new space!”
JR
In 2022, JR begun Déplacé·e·s, a series conceived with refugee populations in Ukraine, Rwanda, Mauritania, Greece, and Colombia.
Déplacé·e·s presented aerial photographs of 120 foot-long banners depicting the full image of young children playfully running. Carried by large groups of people around refugee camps or a city, the printed banners revealed, with keen clarity and specificity, the naivety and innocence of displaced children living through conflict. Their massive scale and larger-than-life format provided a duly deserved commemorative moment, serving as a temporary monument to the childrens’ dreams and aspirations.
The series Children of Ouranos—referring to the primordial Greek god of the sky who fathered the Titans, the first gods—and associates JR’s subjects with holiness. Negatives of each photograph are transferred onto reclaimed wood and reinforced with black ink for contrast. The children become glowing silhouettes, evoking classical depictions of divinity.
The opening day of the exhibition marks the anniversary of the deployement of Valeriia, a 45-meter-long printed tarpaulin with the help of around a hundred people in the center of Lviv, Ukraine. In March 2022, shortly after Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine, JR traveled to Ukraine, to unveil the giant portrait of the 5-year-old refugee. The portrait of the young girl was taken by photographer Artem Lurchenko among other images of children who has just crossed the Polish border to find refuge. Valeriia’s portrait became in March 2022 the cover of the Time magazine, depicting the resilience of Ukraine and revealing hope throughout Art in this trouble time.
JR, OUTPOSTS, March 14th – April 19th, 2025 Perrotin London
About
Situated in the heart of Mayfair, the gallery features 350 m2 of completely refurbished space in Claridge’s, a true British landmark. Perrotin is thrilled to be setting up its first London space in this vibrant and historic neighborhood. Located on Brook’s Mews, the gallery will be next to Claridge’s ArtSpace Café. Perrotin London will offer a program created together with its artists to coincide with the city’s major cultural events, such as Frieze London, where the gallery has participated since 2004. For the 2024 edition, the gallery presented works by British sculptor Lynn Chadwick, whose Estate recently joined the gallery.
