In 2011, anonymous street artist JR began “INSIDE OUT”, a worldwide art initiative that would span 112 countries and is still going today.
“I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world… inside out”. – JR
Located at the intersection of personal struggle and public movements, each of INSIDE OUT’s group actions feature black and white portraits of everyday people, united under a single theme and displayed in unlikely community spaces.
Take a look at some standout projects from around the world below and see more at http://www.insideoutproject.net/.
Yerevan, Armenia
“Soldiers Smiling for Justice”, Sept. 2012
A “project that would make society shift. So people here understand that soldiers are really human, not just meat.”
Tunis, Tunisia
Mar. 2011
“These people represent the different faces of the Tunisian society, people that agree to live with mutual respect for others.”
Tbilisi, Georgia
“Eyes Wide Shut”, Mar. 2014
“Don’t shut your eyes! Six years has passed since the last Russian intervention… By drawing attention to the cause we encourage civil society to start thinking about the ongoing problem and to seek solutions to the occupation struggle.”
Taipei, Taiwan
“Taiwan, Keep It Up”, Sept. 2012
“Pass on our faith through the photos, we believe Taiwan can be better… The meaning of the characters can be translated as ‘Taiwan, keep it up!’, which is for the purpose of encouraging the viewers from the depressing fact we face in politic and economy.”
London, United Kingdom
“Demolition Party”, Sept. 2013
“The NHS was created from the ideal that quality healthcare should be available to all… We believe this Government’s policies of marketisation, privatisation and funding cuts are fatally undermining these principles and we are demonstrating our opposition to this.”
Undisclosed Location, KPK, Pakistan
“Not a Bug Splat”, Apr. 2014
“In order to show the drone operators the actual face of the children they might end up bombing – rather than a dehumanized dot on a screen – we would like to print extremely large scale portraits of the children living in the area where the drones are operated.”
Seoul, South Korea
“Existing with a Seoul”, Jun. 2013
“We – a group of Koreans, Filipinos and Americans – want to raise awareness of the foreigners living in Korea. It can get difficult at times to be accepted by a society with an ethnically homogeneous history, but Korea is becoming a melting pot and we want to celebrate that with the world.”
Tel Aviv, Israel
“Inside Out: Yalla”, Aug. 2011
“The time is now, YALLA.”
North Pole, Arctic
“Save the Arctic”, Apr. 2013
“The eyes of the world, at the top of the world, watching over the world: over a thousand portraits of members of the #savethearctic movement make up a giant eye on the North Pole, in a statement of defiance against destructive industry in the Arctic.”
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
“Get Busy Living”, Apr. – May 2012
“I was standing in the checkout aisle at the grocery when Steve told me he had been diagnosed with (ALS) Lou Gehrig’s disease. I assume he saw the color leave my face because in true Steve form he put things in perspective reminding me, ‘We all have limited time’ and encouraging me to, ‘get busy living’.”
Medellin, Colombia
“No Boundaries, Bigger Dreams”
“Children to dream big / Taking down of imagined boundaries”
Mangochi, Malawi
“The Faces and Stories on the Frontline”, May 2013
“To reveal the faces and stories of the people working on the frontline in Malawi’s food and fishing economies. To highlight some of the challenges faced by these workers at a time of change in the country.”
North Dakota, U.S.
“We Still Exist”, Jul. 2011
“We are the Lakota Tribe. We still exist.”
Township Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa
“Orphans with HIV/AIDS”, Nov. 2011
Ubuntu Theater featured portraits of 30 street children with HIV/AIDS “to remove the stigma of AIDS they live under and to portray them as the heroes they are”.
Dhaka, Korail Slum, Bangladesh
“The Soulside Out”, Sept. 2013
“The Bangladesh action is in honor of the millions of women working in the Bengali garment industry: leading the struggle for socio-economic justice in one of the world’s poorest, and most densely populated countries now synonymous with sweatshops… The message is Dignity In Industry.”
Juarez – Rio Grande Canal
“Be the Change”, Oct. 2011
On the border of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico – considered the “murder capital” of the world – and El Paso, TX.
Kabul, Afghanistan
“The Celebration of the Real Afghanistan”, Sept. 2012
“There is hope and laughter in Afghanistan and that should be celebrated… The location of INSIDE OUT will take part alongside ISAF HQ Barricade and in the old city of Kabul.”
Caracas, Venezuela
“Never Forgetting”, Nov. 2011
“When you lose a child you look at the sun uninterested; that sun rises everyday, even if you rather staying in the dark… I do it all because I need my son’s name everywhere. No one should forget about him. There are a lot of Taners in this country.”
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
“OnTen Iran”, Jun. 2013
Saman Arbabi “learned that even though thousands of people worldwide have participated in JR’s project, only one of them was from Iran. So Saman decided that the best way to illustrate his story, which aired on the day of the Iranian elections, was to create his own version of JR’s street art.
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