Artist JR Installs Giant Photos of Athletes Atop Tall Buildings in the Center of Rio de Janeiro

A photo posted by JR (@jr) on Aug 2, 2016 at 9:52am PDT

In celebration of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the remarkable Ted Prize-winning French street artist and photographer, JR used his talent for large scale installations to affix giant photos of athletes atop the tall buildings in the center of the host city. JR tells the story (in several languages) of Mohamed Younes Idriss, the high-jumping athlete in one of the photos.

Another piece in the center of Rio ! High jump performed by Mohamed YOUNES IDRISS, 27, from SUDAN. He lives and trains in Cologne, Germany. He missed out on qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics but he is there some how :) Une autre Oeuvre au centre ville de Rio. Mohamed YOUNES IDRISS, 27 ans, originaire du Soudan. Il vit et sentraine Cologne (Allemagne). Il ne s est pas qualifi pour les JO de Rio 2016 mais il est la bas autrement :) Mohamed Younes Idriss, 27 anos, vem do Sudo. Esse atleta mora e treina em Cologne (Alemanha). Ele se machucou alguns dias antes de uma prova pra se qualificar nas olimpadas do Rio 2016. Ele tem o recorde africano de salto em altura. #ioprio2016 #Brazil

A photo posted by JR (@jr) on Jul 31, 2016 at 6:01am PDT

A photo posted by JR (@jr) on Aug 2, 2016 at 7:01am PDT

A photo posted by JR (@jr) on Jul 26, 2016 at 3:14am PDT

via Street Art News