JR’s work, which mostly consists of gigantic monochrome photographs pasted on public surfaces, is not just delightful to encounter and look at. I love that he uses his ingenious touch and vision to highlight important social issues and bestow voices to those who are often marginalized. Earlier this summer, JR had his first NYC solo show Horizontal on the Lower East Side, where he created a large-scale installation on the historic S. Beckenstein building.

The S. Beckenstein Building was home to Beckenstein’s, a fabric company that became a staple of the neighborhood for almost a century until it relocated to the Garment District. Samuel Beckenstein started the company in 1919 with nothing but a pushcsart before opening the legendary retail store on Orchard Street. You can still see the original signage on the brick building today.