In the summer of 2022, the French street artist JR invited the people of Dortmund to have their photos taken for his global art project "Inside Out." Around 500 people followed the impulse and posed for the camera at Dortmund U – as they pleased, spontaneously, without any directing instructions from the artist. Now, the black-and-white portraits printed on posters adorn a concrete wall on Brinkhoffstraße beneath Dortmund U. A hotspot of street art has emerged here, a collective snapshot of the feelings and moods of many individuals.
In addition to Dortmund U/UZWEI, the 44309 Public//Art Space, which specializes in urban art, is participating in the poster wall, which is situated at the intersection of photography, social engagement, and contemporary art. JR refers to his long-term project, which he has been pursuing since 2011, as "The people’s art project" (the letters stand for Juste Ridicule). On the website, you can read the details of the success story: 446,365 portrait photos, 2,329 group actions, 148 countries – if this statistic doesn’t impress you, then nothing will.
"We help communities turn their untold stories into a public artwork," is the central message of the Frenchman, whose "Inside Out Photobooth Truck" has already traveled halfway around the world. "Inside Out" is about private messages, but also about public issues – for example, "Black Lives Matter," the plight of Afghan refugees in Belgium, or the oppressed LGBTQIA+ community in Russia. Just this April, JR showcased a flag in Düsseldorf's Ehrenhof: together with more than 100 supporters, his team presented the oversized portrait of five-year-old Valeriia, who fled from the war in Ukraine, in front of the NRW-Forum.
More information can be found here: http://insideoutproject.net
