JR - Man of Action

Ask anyone who lives in an urban sprawl, and they'll be familiar with street art. A controversial art from, this goes beyond 'tagging' a name all over a city and instead drives home important messages. Last month, French artist JR started the global Inside Out Project, where he invited people across the world to take 'strong' expressions and upload them to his website. JR will then send copies back to people, who will then be encouraged to plaster them on public walls.

Talking to The Independent, JR described the project as being 'about action... It is about taking the virtual world back to the streets'. The TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) described JR as a 'true humanitarian' whose art inspires people to look at the world differently.

JR has brought art to the streets on many cities of the third world, drawing attention to poverty and putting art into action. In 2008, he mounted his famous black a white portraits on houses in a shanty town in the Favela Morro Da Providencia region of Rio di Janeiro. South America was one of the many countries that was to become home to The Wild Geese after they left Ireland in 1691. Like their journey, JR has broken the the cycle and tackled an ambitious project.

The artwork brought the district alive and literally gave the
 cityscape faces, promoting a greater understanding of such a diverse city.

This project lead to the establishment of the Casa Amarela, a place for young people to escape the city and learn about art and culture, so they might widen their horizons. JR joined with BKRW, an online magazine and new space with an installation of photos taken by the children of Casa Amarela. Photography workshops are available and the local community came to together to paint the entire building.