While the 12-metre installation by JR still adheres to the artist’s signature style, there is also one element that sets it apart from the rest
If you’ve visited Harbour City recently, you may have noticed a gigantic art installation showing the figure of a person performing what appears to be a high-jump against the Victoria Harbour skyline. The figure is both athletic and elegant as they gentle fall backwards towards the water.
Look closely and you’ll find that this is a black-and-white photograph printed on to a giant board and fixed to a bamboo scaffolding. Rising Up is the latest work by French “photograffeur” (photographer and graffiti artist) Jean-René, who goes by the moniker JR, and showcases his signature style of large black-and-white photographic images in public locations. Other locations where he has flyposted include the Louvre in Paris, Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and at the US-Mexico border.
Installed at the Ocean Terminal deck of Harbour City, Rising Up is JR’s second art piece in Hong Kong since 2012, and it’s part of his Giants series that debuted at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The idea was to capture the grace and power of athletes in movement through photographs.
For the Hong Kong installation, the back jumping athlete’s motion, as it defies gravity and conveys weightlessness, represents strength and bravery. According to the artist, the backdrop of Victoria Harbour provides multiple ways to interpret the athlete’s movement: are they propelling across the harbour, or performing a backwards dive into the water?
