Prior to continuing with my fall trend reports and shopping list I want to present you some pics from the “Au Panthéon !” installation by photographer JR, which we saw during our Paris stay shortly before summer holidays. Have you heard of him before?
The cupola of the Parisian Pantheon wrapped in a JR black and white collage.
Well, for all who haven’t yet its high time! JR is a photo street artist based in Paris. His signature are large scale, black and white portrait photographs of “ordinary people”. He displays his works at public places without governmental approval and aims at giving people a voice. In this way he overcomes anonymous media coverage on conflicting areas such as the struggle of the gay movement in Russia and gives the whole thing a much more human attitude by displaying oversized portraits of real people involved in that problem (Read more on his global inside out project here!!!!).
the cupola of the Pantheon from the inside!
Besides these controversial works JR is also famous for his highly aesthetic commissioned works. Like the installation at the New York City Ballet’s David H. Koch theatre or Au Panthéon ! at the Pantheon in Paris.
The whole floor inside the Pantheon was covered with faces/ The peoples photographs were taken in March 2014 during a photo booth campaign at 9 different national monuments in France!
Walking the face covered floor of the Pantheon is so unique. There are people of all different nationalities, ages, gender, social background – all of them shared one similarity – they visited one of 9 French national monuments in March 2014 – with totally different emotions …
While Au Panthéon ! surely lacks the radical and highly critical component of other JR projects its still an amazing project. In March 2014 people, who visited 9 different national monuments all over France were asked to join a photo booth event and express the emotions the visit triggers. Walking the Pantheon floor with all these oversized faces starring at you – you can’t help to smile at some point – there is a bored child, a highly interested young woman ….
The installation stays at the Pantheon until Oct 5th 2014!
I’ve read a lot about his inside out photo call project. Love the idea to encourage people to form their own “action group” and use the facial expression posters as a form of silent protest against something. But very honestly, I don’t feel that an average action group will achieve a lot with this. In the end its just faces and no text most of the passer-bys won’t get the message!
I personally have never heard of the artist! But I wouldn’t want to be the one whose photo is installed on the floor of a building that is actually supposed to be a burial place! Sorry but I feel too alive for that! In my opinion a very bad idea to decorate the pantheon!!!!
Oh my god – I totally agree! That’s awfull to put the pictures of people, who are still alive next to the grave of other people!
Can only agree – bad idea to show portraits of tourists visiting a monument next to the graves of honorable French people!
You can put a heeled shoe made out of soup pans inside the Hall of Mirrors at Chateau de Versailles and praise the contrast between ancient and contemporary art! Thats a matter or taste! But to place a collage of human portraits on the floor of a mausoleum! That’s impious in many ways!!!!
I wouldn’t say that its such a bad idea. Pantheon is an old and ancient building, but all those people buried there were very much forward thinking and not very conservative! The photos of so many people from all around the world give a certain community feeling, which isn’t too bad!
Two sided sword in my opinion! On the one hand nice way to demonstrate different nations united at a public place but on the other hand maybe a little respect less when you take into account what the Pantheon is.
Different nations united is a good message! Its good to show it at the Pantheon, because this is a place where creative minds rest. And internationalism and an open mind is the fundament for all creative energy! I love it!!!
I like this contemporary art meets “ancient” art approach!
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