JR’s latest collaborative public installations highlight the worldwide child refugee crisis

JR (born 1983) is considered one of the most important street artists of the last 20 years, famous throughout the world for his projects combining photography, public art and social politics. The plight of migrants and refugees has long been part of JR’s concerns. For the Déplacé-e-s project, launched in 2022, he traveled to crisis zones ranging from war-torn Ukraine to the refugee camps of Mugombwa in Rwanda, Mbera in Mauritania, Cucuta in Colombia and Lesvos in Greece, drawing attention to the harsh conditions in which thousands of people find themselves today. By enlarging their portraits on huge banners, JR gives back an identity to those who are deprived of it. Published on the occasion of an exhibition in Turin gathering these portraits for the first time, Déplacé-e-s features a previously unpublished interview with JR by Arturo Galansino and Stéphane Malfettes.