ALFREDO JAAR INDUCTED INTO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS
The acclaimed Chilean artist joins the institution that brings together the most distinguished figures in architecture, visual arts, literature, and music in the United States.
Galerie Lelong, New York has announced the induction of Alfredo Jaar (Santiago, Chile, 1956) as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters; he formally joined the Department of Art at a ceremony held on May 20, 2026.
Founded in 1898, the American Academy of Arts and Letters upholds the highest standards of artistic achievement, and its community of members counts among the leading contemporary architects, visual artists, writers, and composers. Members of Arts and Letters are divided into the Departments of Architecture, Art, Literature, and Music, and are elected in recognition of notable achievement in their respective fields.
By honoring their peers through election to membership and supporting nonmember artists through awards, exhibitions, and public programs, the members of Arts and Letters foster a community of mutual support and recognition for artists across all disciplines.
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Portrait of Alfredo Jaar by Andrea Rego Barros. Courtesy of Galerie Lelong
Alfredo Jaar is an innovative artist, architect, and filmmaker. For over 40 years, he has worked with photography, film, installation, and new media to create compelling works that examine complex socio-political issues and the limits and ethics of representation. His work is currently on view at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh; his work has also been included in the 1986, 2007, 2009, and 2013 editions. He has participated in the Biennials of São Paulo, Brazil (1987, 1989, 2010, and 2021); Documenta, Germany (1987 and 2002); and the Whitney Biennial (2022). In 2020, he received the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography, the most prestigious photography prize in the world. He was awarded the 11th Hiroshima Art Prize in 2019, and a solo exhibition was presented in his honor in 2023. In 2025, he received the Edward MacDowell Medal and the Prix Pictet. Recent solo exhibitions have been hosted by SESC Pompeia, São Paulo, Brazil; KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany; Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile; and Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany; among many others.
Jaar lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal.
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