Jesse Krimes: Corrections

Jesse Krimes: Art and Identification examines the intertwined histories of photography, power, and the criminal justice system through the lens of contemporary and historical perspectives. The exhibition pairs immersive installations by American artist Jesse Krimes (b. 1982) with nineteenth-century photographs by French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon, who pioneered the first modern system of criminal identification before fingerprinting. Created during Krimes’s six-year incarceration using unconventional materials such as prison-issued soap, hair gel, playing cards, and newspaper, his works challenge how images circulate and shape perceptions of identity. Placed in dialogue with Bertillon’s standardized mug shots and anthropometric studies, Krimes’s art questions the supposed objectivity of photographic systems and the societal hierarchies they reinforce. A committed advocate for justice and creative empowerment, Krimes also founded the Center for Art and Advocacy to support and elevate the voices of artists affected by incarceration.