HARBOUR City unveils second wave of black and white art installations as part of the global participatory “Inside Out Project”. Over 450 residents and celebrities participate in “Inside Out: Harbour and the City” and their giant smiling portraits are displayed at Ocean Terminal Forecourt and the exterior wall of Canton Road.
Surround yourself with a sea of friendly smiles at Harbour City! Last month, Harbour City hosted the renowned French artist JR’s monumental public art installation, “GIANTS: Rising Up,” and simultaneously kicked off participating in the “Inside Out Project,” a global participatory art project created by JR.
The new Inside Out Action is titled “Inside Out: Harbour and the City” and invites residents to take photos of their smiles long-hidden behind masks, and bring happiness to the world together. The collected photographs have the added touch of the iconic Inside Out polka dots.
From 24 April to 7 May, these photos are on display at Ocean Terminal Forecourt, the exterior wall of Ocean Centre, and Gateway Arcade entrances on Canton Road, allowing the public to be surrounded and welcomed by a sea of friendly smiles.
Tourists and visitors from all over the world will feel the warmth of a welcoming atmosphere, surrounded by a sea of friendly smiles. “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.”
– Excerpt from JR’s speech after winning the TED Prize in 2011 and initiating the Inside Out Project.
The “Inside Out Project” is a global participatory art project created by the renowned French artist JR in 2011 after winning the TED prize in California. Based on his signature style of creating giant black-and-white photographs, the project invites people around the world to paste their larger-than-life black-and-white portraits in public spaces, transforming them into public art to get their voices heard.
Through a dialogue enabled by art, “Inside Out Project” encourages the discovery of people’s untold stories and issues around the globe. The enormous black-and-white Inside Out portrait design stems from JR’s artistic practice, which creates a unique juxtaposition with our dazzling world full of bright colours, becoming an eye-grabbing attraction for the public.
More than 2,300 “Inside Out Project” Group Actions have been initiated across 149 countries, with over 480,000 global participants since its launch. As the mask mandate was lifted in March and Hong Kong returned to normalcy, Harbour City invited the public in Hong Kong, especially children who grew up during the pandemic, to record the joyous “un-masking” moment for display in Harbour City, which is a renowned landmark and the largest shopping centre in Hong Kong.
The response was overwhelming, with over 450 citizens and celebrities sharing their beaming faces, making it the largest scale of “Inside Out Project” in Hong Kong. Jan Lamb, Ronald Cheng, Eric Kot, Cecilia Yeung, and hundreds of Hongkongers shared their smiles in support of the latest ‘Inside Out Project’ in Hong Kong.
