This mural on the front wall of the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Japan features images of the people in North East Japan whose town was hit by the tsunami in March 2011.
Created by French artist JR for the ‘Inside Out Project,’ the giant mural aims to “transform messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work.” The digital photos featured in the art piece will be made into posters and sent back to members of the public so that they can be exhibited in their own communities.
The museum challenged the artist to use black and white photographs in order to “discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.” This is the first solo show for the renowned French artist.
Photo Credits: designboom, jr-art.net
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Interactive Community Art
- Using large-scale murals as a way for artists to engage with communities and tell their stories, creating opportunities for local creativity and conversations.
- Inside-out Approach
- The Inside Out Project creates more personalized murals with community input, increasing engagement and inclusivity of public art while also promoting social activism.
- Post-mural Engagement
- Sending posters of mural photos back to community members allows for further exhibition and sharing, extending the impact of the artwork beyond the physical location and time frame.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Public Art
- Public art installations can utilize technology and community input to create interactive, dynamic and engaged art pieces.
- Community Engagement
- Creative and impactful ways of engaging with communities beyond the traditional modes of communication can be applied to a variety of industries and projects.
- Social Activism
- Public art and community engagement can be leveraged to promote social activism and bring attention to important issues.
