JR's Inside Out Installation Celebrates Volunteers in Padua

On September 19, 2020, French street artist JR inaugurated 'Inside Out' in Padua, Italy, a large-scale participatory photographic installation along Via Niccolò Tommaseo. The project features 104 black-and-white portraits of local volunteers, each 90x135 cm, displayed over 100 meters. Each portrait includes a QR code linking to video interviews where volunteers share personal stories about their work in the third sector. The installation was organized by the association Domna, which obtained authorization from JR's team in 2019, with support from the Centro Servizi Volontariato and the City of Padua. Originally planned for 2020 when Padua was European Capital of Volunteering, the project was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and refocused to honor volunteers who responded to the emergency. The subtitle 'Uniti attraverso la bellezza' (United through beauty) aims to raise awareness, promote change, and strengthen community. JR's Inside Out project, launched after he won the TED Prize in March 2011, has involved over 260,000 people across 129 countries, addressing themes like hope, diversity, gender violence, and climate change. Documentation is available online at insideoutproject.net, csvpadova.org, and domna.it.