Walking around Shanghai landmark Xintiandi's South or North Block these days, you may have the illusion of visiting a massive photo gallery, made up of murals of large black and white portraits.

These eye-catching super-size photos, created by French artist JR in cooperation with thousands of ordinary people in Shanghai, are part of a global art project titled "Inside Out."

People hold their giant portraits in Xintiandi. Photos: Courtesy of Shanghai Xintiandi

People hold their giant portraits in Xintiandi. Photos: Courtesy of Shanghai Xintiandi

People hold their giant portraits in Xintiandi. Photos: Courtesy of Shanghai Xintiandi

People hold their giant portraits in Xintiandi. Photos: Courtesy of Shanghai Xintiandi

Giant black-and-white prints hang on the walls of a public space.

On March 2, 2011, JR was given an award for extraordinary individuals with a bold vision that has sparked global change by US nonprofit organization TED. "I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global project, and together we'll turn the world inside out," he said at the awards ceremony.

Driving a truck with a built-in photo booth around the world, JR snaps people's portraits and puts up the giant black-and-white prints in public spaces as a way for people to share their experiences and make a statement about what they stand for.

From Ecuador to Palestine, from the bourgeois districts of Paris to the riot-ridden favelas of Rio de Janeiro, around 200,000 people from over 112 countries and regions have participated in the project. On May 12, it kicked off in Shanghai with the first period ending on May 14 and the second one running from May 21 until May 29.

As its name suggests, Inside Out aims to take people's inner thoughts and emotions to reveal who they are, how they feel, and what they wish to achieve.

In the open-air exhibition space of Xintiandi, people queued outside the truck to have their pictures taken, while JR and his crew were busy tinkering with their photography equipment. With buckets of glue at the ready, rolls of paper unfurled inside the printer. When a new image came out of the slot in the truck, it would be instantly pasted to the wall, adding to the growing mosaic of hope, memory, understanding and personal identity.

Inside Out gives its participants the opportunity to use their face as their "paint brush" on the canvas of city streets. There's no need for great artistic talent or any cutting-edge technology. All that's required is that you're true to yourself.

"That's the beauty of art. Everyone can read something different," said JR. "But for me, what I personally read from these photos is people gathering, connecting and interacting with each other. That's one of the aims of the project. It permits interaction."

This tall, thin, fedora- and sunglasses-wearing artist is physically expressive when talking about his work. Shunning any brand sponsorship for his project, JR wants the city to be covered with the real images of residents, free of any political or commercial messages.

From his teenage days as a graffiti artist to his current guise as a photographer, JR has worked across different media to fulfill the same purpose of self-expression. Now he prefers to give the floor to the audience and turn the spotlight on those involved in his work.

"Sometimes you raise questions but you do not have to answer them," he said. "Like any social media, Inside Out is just a platform for people to express themselves and create social connection and interaction. The difference is that we are a reality media, social reality let's say, because we bring you into a real world where you have to meet other people physically instead of hiding behind your computer."

In previous years he has done a number of different projects centered around participation from ordinary people, leaving his mark across rooftops, walls and subway stations.

"Images are a great way for people to express themselves," he said. In his art project Face 2 Face launched in 2006, JR captured images of Israelis and Palestinians. Some laughed, some cried, some screamed or pulled their faces in front of his lens. The pictures were then pasted up, face to face on the two sides of the West Bank barrier wall in an effort to show the two groups were alike and could understand each other, despite being kept physically apart.

JR's recent works include new photos, paper works and pastings on wood. They are currently on show at the CLOSE-UP exhibition at Magda Danysz Gallery in Shanghai until July 5. An exhibition focused on Inside Out is being staged at Power Station of Art until June 15.