While JR's "Inside Out" project has been a global success for the past two years, many don't realize that its home studio is in New York City. From his Warhol factory-esque space, JR sends thousands of people giant, free prints of photographs they've taken themselves, so that they can paste them wherever they like. Most of his participants have used the opportunity to make political statements everywhere from Tunisia to Mexico and even the North Pole.
As part of the Times Square Arts series, which allows artists to take over the advertising screens at midnight for a month (Tracey Emin did the project in February and Bjork did the project in March), JR has done a special two-part project. He allows visitors to print and paste their own portraits in Times Square, using the "Inside Out" photobooth truck, and he's also showing faces on the screens at 11:57 p.m. every night. Last night was the first time the screens were activated, and the entire project continues until May 10.
So far,Pharrell has visited "Inside Out" Times Square, a couple got married there, and the employees at Artsy added their portraits to their office space. In only a few weeks, its impact has been felt in and out of New York.
Look forward to the HBO premiere of the Inside Out documentary on May 20, and if you're in NYC, check out his exhibition with José Parlá from May 7 to July 12 at Bryce Wolkowitz gallery.
[via Instagram]
