'Outposts' by JR - It’s not just about seeing the work, it’s about feeling it

A few weeks ago I visited 'Outposts', JR’s solo show at Perrotin’s brand new London gallery, and wow, this one really hit me.

The show focuses on forced displacement, but somehow it doesn’t feel heavy-handed or overly sad. JR has this way of making big, overwhelming issues feel human, close, even intimate. His black-and-white portraits of kids from refugee communities around the world are not just beautiful; they’re full of emotion and presence. There’s a softness to them, a quiet power. You can see joy, resilience, even playfulness in the faces. It really stays with you.

There’s also a short video projection that honestly moved me the most. It’s just a few minutes long, no narration, just gentle music and footage from the different projects. Massive prints billowing in the wind, kids running, groups coming together. The movement in that video—the literal movement of the fabric, but also the movement of people, of displacement—was so simple but so powerful.

The gallery itself is gorgeous. Clean, white, not too big, not too small. It felt like a space made for quiet encounters. And while the gallery is under Claridge’s (yes, that Claridge’s), which is one of the fanciest hotels in London, the show doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, I kind of like that a show about displacement is living in a space like that, it flips the script a bit. However, with that said, it is a basement. Unless you’re already into art, know where you’re going, or like JR’s work you might miss it. Which adds another layer: displacement and invisibility, even in an art context.

All in all, 'Outposts' is beautiful, moving, and worth making the trip for. It’s not just about seeing the work, it’s about feeling it.