If anyone has put the mug shot on the map, international photographer and social campaigner JR has, with his larger than life photographic portraits – and in doing so given us a glimpse at each other the world over.
JR’s work focuses on faces – and deeper than that, on self-representation and contemporary identity. Collectively called 28 millimetres, his larger-than-life portrait work posted and pasted in public spaces in surprising parts of the world makes an important social statement about who we are and “here we are”. Inside Out Project is the one that came to South Africa recently.
Its collaboration with local artists and learners focused on intercultural exchange that turned the Mother City’s walls into mirrors. This is you, Cape Town.
[Captions from SJ Artists blog. SJ Artists is a local agency representing artists and providing art management services. It project managed the city pastes.]
Credit Jonx Pillemer SJ ARTISTS
“INSIDE OUT is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.”
“The first edition in Cape Town is dealing with racism between black and coloured youth from Hout Bay. It took two days to paste eyes onto the kiosks of the Cape Town Grand Parade.”
“It was amazing to see people’s responses and to talk to them about the project. I was often asked what I was doing there and I would point to the roof and their face would just drop. ‘Wow’ would be the response and then they would ask, ‘Why?’. I just said, ‘Art’, and then told the story of those specific images. ‘We are trying to overcome racism between the black and coloured youth in Hout Bay.’”
Students from Hout Bay High pasting photos onto on their own homes. Each student got to paste theirs and their partner’s photo.
The (unfinished) bridge. “We had the most amazing warm weather and it’s really peaceful up there. The first person we came by was a lady and her boyfriend who live on the bridge. Boy, was she excited we were doing something beautiful with her bridge.” (Harnesses and rope supplied by Zip Zap Circus)
Credit Jonx Pillemer SJ ARTISTS
Credit Jonx Pillemer SJ ARTISTS
–
images by Shani Jude SJ ARTISTS except where specified
