Inside Out : DiverseCity

“Art is not supposed to change the world, but change perceptions. Art can change the way we see the world.” – JR

“Diversity is key to Houston's identity, and with this project we wanted to shed the light on Houston’s incredibly diverse youth. High-volume immigration has turned Houston into the most racially and ethnically diverse metropolis in the country, surpassing New York in 2010. Twenty-nine percent of the population is foreign-born and more than 145 languages are spoken in the city. Houston today reflects America's future.

This powerful installation featured hundreds of giant portraits of Houston’s children on an emblematic location, Houston’s City Hall. Their portraits will travel the world thanks to JR’s Inside Out global participatory art project.” – Laura Matesco

Sandy Hartley, Anne Houang, Olivier Modrand and Ceci Norman created the large scale black and white portraits of hundreds of children from different schools in Houston – students from Poe Elementary, Las Americas Newcomer School, House of Tiny Treasures and Amaanah Refugee Services.

Anne Houang was the lead project installer for DiverseCity and documented the behind-the-scenes candid moments. The drone photographs are courtesy of Olivier Modrand.