TED2011 Winner JR Hits L.A., Wants Our Help To Change The World With Street Art

by Emily Green · March 3, 2011

808 E 3rd Street, Downtown via

While we were all atwitter over the supposed "Banksy" hits popping up all over the city, another artist was busy making his mark around L.A., but not to rally for an Oscar. If you've seen large-scale black and white street art portraits around town recently, they're all part of French street artist JR's plan to make the world a better place. Last night in Long Beach, as this year's TED2011 winner, he accepted his prize of $100,000 and announced his "One Wish To Change The World": a global street art project that will turn the world inside out.

[JR self portrait via] JR will pursue his One Wish with the biggest public art initiative on a global scale: he is calling for all around the world (including you!) to submit photo portraits of a person whose story we would like to tell along with a supporting personal statement. The portraits will be sent back to those who submitted them as billboard-size posters; in return, he wants us to display them somewhere in our community for the public to see, whether it be a wall, window, or anywhere there's room and people can see. Last night JR explained his intentions with the project he calls Inside Out:

"...I wanted to create an art experiment that gives everyone a chance to share who they are and what they stand for. ...With my wish, I hope to provide the tools every person needs to reveal themselves, amplify their voices, and shine a light on their faces. 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's work on a hillside in Brazil's favelas via] Kind of beautiful, no? The Inside Out project gives you the chance to participate in the world's biggest art project and help transform your cityscape. It also presents the rare opportunity to collaborate with a highly esteemed, internationally renowned street artist. Check out these portraits he's putting up all over L.A. for his Wrinkles In The City project. L.A. Weekly created a comprehensive Google map with all of the locations of JR's Wrinkles pieces in case you want to go see them in person.

944 E 4th Street, Downtown via