Tehachapi (Art Installation)
JR's massive participatory mural inside a maximum-security prison yard — incarcerated people, guards, and former inmates standing shoulder to shoulder, visible only from above.
In October 2019, JR received permission to work in a maximum-security prison located in Tehachapi, California. He met with twenty-eight residents and presented an idea for a collaborative artistic project in the central yard. JR and his team photographed the men, one by one, from above. Two weeks later, JR returned with his team to paste 338 strips of paper on the ground. In just a few hours, the participants, equipped with push brooms and wallpaper glue, worked alongside guards and members of JR's studio to complete the pasting. From above, it became clear: incarcerated people, former inmates, the prison staff, and victims stand shoulder to shoulder. The installation, naturally ephemeral, disappeared in three days under the footsteps of the prison's incarcerated population. (Source: jr-art.net)
- Year
- 2019
- Hunter's role
- Cinematographer & Producer
- Director
- JR
- Type
- Art Installation
- Runtime
- Ephemeral — installation existed for 3 days before naturally disappearing under footsteps
- Countries
- USA (California Correctional Institution, Tehachapi, California — maximum security Level 4 facility, Facility B yard)
Collaborators
- Marc Azoulay — JR Studio Director
- Eyal Levy — International Producer, Artist, Cinematographer.
- JR — Artist, Filmmaker, Photographer. Based in Paris and New York.
- Sol Guy
Awards
No traditional awards. The installation is documented in the Tehachapi feature film (separate database entry), which premiered at Telluride 2023 and screened at IDFA Competition. Also exhibited at Brooklyn Museum (JR: Chronicles) and Saatchi Gallery, London.
Festivals
Exhibited/referenced at: Brooklyn Museum 'JR: Chronicles' (2019–2020) • Saatchi Gallery, London (JR: Chronicles tour) • The installation itself existed for only 3 days inside the prison before naturally disappearing
Real-world impact
Multiple participants moved from super-maximum security (Facility B) to lower security (Facility C) due to positive behavior exhibited after the project. Barrett Fadden became a 12-step sponsor for other inmates. Kevin Walsh had white supremacist tattoo removed, was released from prison, and appeared publicly at Telluride Film Festival with JR. William David Hampton Jr.: 'Working on this project literally changed my life.' Guards and inmates spoke to each other for the first time during the collaborative pasting. JR: 'Those little things actually reveal the humanity of each other.' Project led to JR returning for two more visits, including Inside Out Photobooth (first ever inside a prison, 600+ men in Facility C). Documented in Tehachapi feature film, which extended the impact to global audiences via Telluride, IDFA, and MasterClass.