Photographer JR praises Pope's stance on artificial intelligence

The French artist JR has publicly expressed his admiration for Pope Leo XIV, specifically highlighting the pontiff's recent calls to resist the expanding influence of artificial intelligence. This statement was made by the 43-year-old photographer, who splits his time between Paris and New York, during an interview discussing his new monumental artwork installed at the Vatican.

The artwork, titled Diluvium, is a massive photographic collage measuring 70 meters in width and 30 meters in height. It is affixed to the facade of the Vatican Library, a sixteenth-century building located in the Belvedere Courtyard. This installation marks the first time that a contemporary art piece has been created in situ within the Vatican. The design of the wave was inspired by a nineteenth-century engraving of the universal flood created by the French illustrator Gustave Doré. JR was present in Rome in September to oversee the project.

The artist describes the wave as a metaphor for several contemporary phenomena, including the recent natural disasters in Nepal and Tibet, as well as the rising heat waves. He specifically identifies the arrival of artificial intelligence as a powerful wave that challenges the traditional methods by which civilization has preserved knowledge in libraries. JR questions what will become of this stored memory as these technological changes reshape the landscape of human culture.

JR views the Pope as a builder of bridges and a cultural mediator in this context of significant upheaval. He expressed joy at seeing Leo XIV question the way artificial intelligence disrupts the contemporary world. The artist also welcomed the Pope's defense of the irreplaceable nature of human relationships, contrasting them with the temptation of virtual withdrawal. JR stated that his role as an artist is to raise these questions and that he finds it remarkable that the Pope is so deeply invested in this inquiry, as it concerns the entirety of humanity.

The genesis of this monumental work is linked to the artist's desire to build unexpected connections between institutions, people, and eras. JR noted that the area around the Vatican was one of his first urban exhibition sites in 2005, when he was 22 years old. He observes that the inscription Pontifex on the wall reflects the DNA of the place, making it an ideal location to create bridges between institutions, between fear and hope, and between ancient architecture and an ephemeral wave.