Inside Out is a global participatory art project initiated by the French photographer JR.
After winning the TED prize in 2011, JR expressed his wish to "change the world" by turning it "inside out".[1] With the $100,000 from the TED Prize, JR set about achieving this by giving the power of representation back to the people.[2]
The project, inspired by JR's large-format street pastings, is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. The central concept places emphasis on people and their stories as well as the statement behind each Group Action. Apart from the printing of portraits, participants have full control of both the creative process (taking their pictures) and the pasting process (the installation of the posters). By using strictly black-and-white portraits, which are printed and then pasted in a public, exterior space, each Group Action can make a statement in the form of a public artwork and share their message with the rest of the world.[3]
Every Inside Out Group Action is documented, archived, and exhibited on the project's website.[4] As of August 2022, over 2,300 Group Actions had taken place, with nearly 500,000 posters printed and shipped to 148 countries. The Inside Out Project has reached all 7 continents, including Antarctica. [4] The Inside Out Project has traveled from Ecuador to Nepal, from Mexico to Palestine, inspiring Group Actions on varied themes such as hope, diversity, violence awareness, and climate change.[4]
- ^ "My wish: Use art to turn the world inside out" – via www.ted.com.
- ^ Irwin, Michael (4 September 2022). "JR". Ocula.
- ^ "À propos d'Inside Out". www.insideoutproject.net (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ a b c "Inside Out Project".