JR
JR is a Paris-based French photographer and installation artist, operating through JRSA SAS, who creates large-scale participatory public art installations (Chroniques murals, Inside Out platform, Louvre interventions) distributed globally through top-tier galleries including Perrotin and Pace, serving museums, cities, collectors, and community participants across 140+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What JR does
JR is a French photographer and installation artist operating through the legal entity JRSA SAS, headquartered in Paris at 146 Boulevard de Charonne. The artist creates large-scale, participatory public art installations — including anamorphic/trompe-l'œil interventions (notably at the Louvre in 2016 and 2019), wheatpaste murals, and monumental scaffolding-based photo works — and serves a global set of institutional and individual customers across museums, cities, galleries, and community participants. The core product portfolio comprises the Inside Out global participatory platform (active in 140+ countries), the Chroniques series of monumental photographic murals (8+ installations across France, USA, Cuba, Japan, and Italy since 2017), the Giants series (inaugurated at Rio 2016), the Women Are Heroes project, and the Wrinkles of the City urban art series, supported by a proprietary iOS/Android mobile app (JR:murals) that layers augmented reality audio storytelling onto physical installations. Sub-brands include Atelier JR (exclusive limited edition lithograph sales), Can Art Change the World? (a nonprofit for social mission continuity), and Casa Amarela Providência (a cultural center co-founded with Maurício Hora in Rio's Morro da Providência favela, 2009).
The business model combines multiple revenue streams: fine art sales (originals and limited editions) distributed through a blue-chip gallery network — Perrotin, Pace Gallery, Galleria Continua, Nara Roesler, and Simon Studer Art — with exclusive lithograph sales direct via Atelier JR; film licensing and screening revenue (Women Are Heroes distributed by Rezo/Elle Driver; Faces Places by Le Pacte/Cohen Media); book and print sales; and exhibition fees and commissions from museums and cultural institutions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, reflecting the standard quote-based model of the primary art market. Distribution is channel-led, with the artist operating through galleries rather than building direct sales infrastructure, and primary market access spanning Paris, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Geneva, Beijing, and other global cities. No external funding or parent company ownership has been disclosed, and intellectual property is held by Swiss entity Unframed SA.
JR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JR
- Legal name
- JRSA SAS
- Website
- https://jr-art.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- JR is a Paris-based French photographer and installation artist, operating through JRSA SAS, who creates large-scale participatory public art installations (Chroniques murals, Inside Out platform, Louvre interventions) distributed globally through top-tier galleries including Perrotin and Pace, serving museums, cities, collectors, and community participants across 140+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Art Installations
- NAICS
- Photography Studios, Portrait (541921), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- User-Generated Content (UGC) & Short-Form Video Platforms (BPAMAJAH)
Keywords
Where JR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
JR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Fine Art Sales: Sale of original artworks and limited edition lithographs through galleries and Atelier JR. Artworks sold through established gallery partners including Perrotin, Pace Gallery, Galleria Continua, Nara Roesler, and Simon Studer Art. Atelier JR exclusively offers lithographs created since 2004.
- Film Licensing and Screenings: Documentary films (Women Are Heroes, Faces Places) licensed for screenings through distribution partners. Film distribution through Rezo (France), Elle Driver (international) for Women Are Heroes; Le Pacte (France), Cohen Media (USA) for Faces Places.
- Book and Print Sales: Published books documenting projects including JR: The Chronicles of San Francisco. Limited editions available through Atelier JR.
- Exhibition Fees and Commissions: Museum and gallery exhibitions generate revenue through exhibition fees, with projects often supported by institutional partners, cities, and cultural organizations
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels11 records
Marketing channels7 records
JR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JR (JRSA SAS) is the operating studio of a French contemporary artist producing large-scale participatory photographic art installations, monumental wheatpaste murals, anamorphic illusions, museum and gallery exhibitions, documentary films, and limited-edition lithographs. Revenue comes from commissioned public art projects, gallery sales of original works, Atelier JR lithograph sales, exhibition fees, and documentary film licensing.
Product overview
JR is a French artist offering a diverse portfolio of large-scale participatory art projects, exhibitions, and cultural initiatives. The core offerings include the Inside Out Project (global participatory art platform), Atelier JR (limited edition lithographs), and the Chroniques Series (monumental photographic murals in cities worldwide). Additional signature projects include Women Are Heroes, The Wrinkles of the City, Giants (Olympic athlete installations), JR au Louvre installations, and Ballet photography series. Supporting initiatives include the Can Art Change the World? non-profit organization and Casa Amarela Providência cultural center in Brazil. The JR:murals mobile app enables augmented reality experiences of his murals. JR operates through galleries including Perrotin, Pace, Galleria Continua, and Nara Roesler.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Inside Out: Global platform for people to share their portrait and make a statement for what they stand for, transforming messages of personal identity into works of public art
- Atelier JR
- Can Art Change the World?
- Chroniques
- Giants
- JRSA SAS
Products and services
- Inside Out Project Global participatory art platform enabling anyone to share their portrait and transform personal identity messages into works of public art, supported by a Photo Booth Truck for on-site participation.
- Atelier JR Lithographs Direct-to-collector channel selling limited edition lithographs and books created by JR since 2004, covering the artist's most important projects.
- Chroniques Series Monumental participatory photographic murals inspired by Diego Rivera, assembled from hundreds of individually photographed and filmed subjects with embedded audio stories accessible via the JR:murals app.
- Women Are Heroes Global art project paying tribute to women through large-scale photographic installations in communities worldwide, including a documentary film selected at Cannes 2010.
- The Wrinkles of the City Urban art project exploring human and architectural wrinkles through paste-ups in cities worldwide, pairing residents with the facades of their aging cities.
- Giants Series Monumental photographic installations featuring lesser-known athletes printed on canvas and installed on scaffolding structures created in situ.
- JR au Louvre Anamorphic and collaborative paste-up installations at the Louvre Museum, including the 2016 pyramid anamorphosis and the 2019 volunteer-driven Secret of the Great Pyramid.
- JR:murals Augmented Reality App iOS/Android mobile application that overlays audio stories onto JR's physical murals using augmented reality, deepening the viewing experience of Chroniques and other series.
- Ballet Series Photographic collaborations with major ballet companies (New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet) combining dance and monumental photography.
- Can Art Change the World? (non-profit) Non-profit organization using art, culture, and education to drive social awareness and change, providing institutional continuity for JR's projects.
- Casa Amarela Providência Cultural Center Cultural center in the Morro da Providência favela offering year-round educational, artistic, and cultural programming for local families.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chroniques of San Francisco: 1,200+ participants photographed and recorded
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use JR
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
JR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
JR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core, strategic and secondary.
- Perrotin GalleryprimaryPrimary gallery representation for JR's original artworks. Exhibitions at Perrotin Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, Seoul, Los Angeles, and Dubai locations. Handles primary market sales of new works.
- VU Photo AgencycorePress image requests handled through VU Photo. France: Patrick Codomier ([email protected]), International: Jean-Baptiste Henimann ([email protected]). Enables press coverage and media distribution.
- Rezo FilmscoreFilm distribution partner for Women Are Heroes documentary in France. Coordinates theatrical releases and screenings within French territory.
- Elle DrivercoreInternational film distribution for Women Are Heroes documentary outside France. Manages international licensing and screening rights.
- Le PactecoreFilm distribution partner for Faces Places documentary in France. Cohen Media handles USA distribution.
- Cohen MediacoreFilm distribution partner for Faces Places documentary in the USA. Enables theatrical and festival distribution in American markets.
- Can Art Change the WorldstrategicNon-profit organization created by JR to bring continuity to his art projects. Aims to use art, culture, and education to bring social awareness and social change worldwide.
- Casa Amarela ProvidênciastrategicCultural center founded by JR and Brazilian photographer Maurício Hora in 2009 in Morro da Providência favela, Rio de Janeiro. Hosts educational, artistic, and cultural programming year-round.
- Unframed SAcoreSwiss company (CHE-115.921.984) holding intellectual property rights to JR's photographs, texts, slogans, drawings, images, videos, and logos. Located at 3 bis Cours des Bastions, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
- KYOTOGRAPHIEstrategicInternational photography festival in Kyoto, Japan. Partner for Chroniques of Kyoto (2025), the first Chroniques mural in Asia, with installations at Kyoto Station.
- Pace GalleryprimaryMajor international gallery representation for artwork sales. Part of primary distribution network alongside Perrotin.
- Galleria ContinuaprimaryInternational gallery with locations in San Gimignano, Beijing, Havana, Paris, Dubai. Exhibition 万花筒 (Kaleidoscope) in Beijing 2025-2026.
- Nara RoeslersecondaryGallery representation in São Paulo and New York for artwork sales.
- Simon Studer ArtsecondaryGallery representation in Geneva, Switzerland for European collector base.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
JR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- TeamLab: Immersive digital participatory art organization with global touring exhibitions and proprietary tech platform. Comparable to JR in combining physical installations with app/digital engagement and monetizing participatory experiences.
- Meow Wolf: Operates large-scale, community-driven, immersive art exhibitions with permanent venues and ticketed entry. Provides a useful comparable for scaling participatory art concepts and recurring-revenue models adjacent to Inside Out.
Direct peers
- Banksy: Anonymous street artist transitioning to institutional and auction prominence, with documentary films and public installations. Comparable trajectory from anonymous public art to authenticated, collectible fine art.
- Anthony Gormley: Creates monumental public sculptures and installations globally, with strong gallery and museum relationships. Comparable in operating model and large-scale public-art commissions to JR.
- Ai Weiwei: Socially engaged installation artist with large-scale public works across continents, film projects, and activism. Comparable to JR in social-mission framing, monumental installations, and public/press profile.
- Invader: French street/urban artist with a global installation practice, gallery backing, and editioned works, analogous to JR in geography, medium (urban intervention), and Paris-based operating base.
- Olafur Eliasson: Produces large-scale, immersive installations at major museums (Louvre, Tate, MoMA) with a recognized studio entity and permanent team. Highly comparable in scale of installations and institutional client base to JR's museum commissions.
- KAWS: Contemporary artist with parallel representation by Pace and Perrotin, editioned prints via dedicated channels, and large-scale public installations globally. Closely matches JR's gallery network, editioned retail, and monument-scale practice.
- Shepard Fairey: Artist-led studio evolved from street art/wheat-pasting into gallery representation and brand work, with a similar model of large-scale public imagery, editioned prints, and blue-chip gallery partnerships. Directly comparable artist business structure to JR.
- Marina Abramović: Performance/installation artist with solo shows at major global museums and gallery representation (Lisson, Sean Kelly). Similar blue-chip institutional presence and large-format exhibition economics as JR.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JR social profiles
Digital presenceJR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
JR subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
JR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JR
What does JR do?
JR (JRSA SAS) is the operating studio of a French contemporary artist producing large-scale participatory photographic art installations, monumental wheatpaste murals, anamorphic illusions, museum and gallery exhibitions, documentary films, and limited-edition lithographs. Revenue comes from commissioned public art projects, gallery sales of original works, Atelier JR lithograph sales, exhibition fees, and documentary film licensing.
Is JR a public or private company?
JR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was JR founded?
JR was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is JR based?
JR is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does JR make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fine Art Sales are the primary driver. The others are film Licensing and Screenings, book and Print Sales and exhibition Fees and Commissions.
Who are JR's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are TeamLab and Meow Wolf. Direct peers are Banksy, Anthony Gormley, Ai Weiwei, Invader, Olafur Eliasson, KAWS, Shepard Fairey and Marina Abramović.
Does JR have an API?
No public API is recorded for JR.
What industry is JR in?
JR's product category is Public Art Installations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAK, Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights), with a secondary code of BPAMAJAH, User-Generated Content (UGC) & Short-Form Video Platforms. Its NAICS code is 541921 and its SIC code is 7330.