JR - Enter through the Red Door

The Inside Out Photobooth installation at Forever Is Now II, Giza, Egypt, 2022. © Hesham Alsaifi.

JR has brought the Inside Out Project to Egypt as part of Forever Is Now - II following on from his success with Greetings from Giza (pictured below.)

Trompe l'oeil, Greetings from Giza, 22 Octobre 2021, 16h46, Giza, Egypte, 2021

In his inclusive style JR invites everyone to join the installation from October 27 until November 10th.

JR is asking us to question what it means to stand in this ancient place and take a selfie. His newsletter explains that the “installation at the Giza Pyramids approaches our society’s enthusiasm for selfies at touristic spots from a new angle. Rather than look away from the monument for a photo, participants make a statement in front of the 4,500-year-old site through their portraits and interact with the pyramids by pasting their poster. While the faces on the billboards are continuously pasted over with new portraits, the backdrop of the magnificent pyramids remains the same. Participants and passersby alike are invited to reflect on the ephemeral in a place where time takes on another meaning.”

The Inside Out Photobooth installation at Forever Is Now II, Giza, Egypt, 2022. © Justin Weiler.

The meaning seems more profound than ever given that COP27 - the Climate Change Conference - is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt during the month of November. The ephemeral nature of picture taking against a threatened planet takes on an even greater meaning. JR has long been an activist supporting an awareness of our planetary cry for help. Both beautiful and thought provoking, this installation is yet another artistic feat bringing people together.

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