The TED2011 Prize Winner JR Reveals His Wish to Change the World

LONG BEACH, California, March 3, 2011 - The TED2011 Prize winner JR, a moving and innovative artist who exhibits
freely in the streets of the world, today unveiled his "wish to change the
world." Live from the TED stage in Long Beach, JR wished for men and women to
stand up for what they care about by contributing to a large-scale
participatory art project - one that transforms messages of personal identity
into pieces of art.

"When JR was awarded the TED Prize, he was given not just money but the
resources and passions of the TED Community," said TED Prize Director Amy
Novogratz. "JR's extraordinary work has been seen and experienced around the
world, and by examining our own identities and passions, we can now join him
in a monumental global art project. How far JR's work will spread, and how
deep we can excavate, is up to each and every one of us."

The wish is to use black and white photographic portraits to reveal
personal - and perhaps untold - stories, beliefs, and convictions. By
visiting InsideOutProject.net, portraits from around the world will be
uploaded, made into posters, and sent back to participants (project
co-creators) to be exhibited in their own communities.

"As I worked with the TED Prize team to create my wish, I wanted to stay
true to my vision and create an art experiment that gives everyone a chance
to share who they are and what they stand for," said JR. "With my wish, I
hope to provide the tools every person needs to reveal themselves, amplify
their voices, and shine a light on their faces."

How the Wish Works

As part of the wish, people will go to InsideOutProject.net and be
advised how to take a photo portrait of someone whose story they want to
tell, including themselves. Participants will then upload the photo along
with a supporting personal statement. While InsideOutProject.net is in
English, people can type their statements in any language.

After completing this step, users will be mailed a poster of their
portrait and be asked to paste it in their local community - whether as a
solitary image in an office window, among other portraits on the wall of an
abandoned building, or in a full stadium. The team behind
InsideOutProject.net will also help connect participants who want to organize
community pastings, and these exhibitions will be documented, archived and
viewable virtually.

Participants will be asked to donate $20 to help fuel JR's Inside Out
wish. Donors will then receive their poster for them to paste for public
viewing. For those who cannot or do not choose to donate, an option to
receive a poster for free is available. Because JR does not accept money from
corporate sponsors or partnerships, individual participation is critical.
This is why every participant is considered a project co-creator and
encouraged to contribute. (Distribution of free posters will be dependent on
funds available, demand, and the project team's discretion.)

About JR

JR creates "Pervasive Art." Working with a team of volunteers in various
urban environments, he mounts enormous black-and-white photo canvases that
spread on buildings, walls, and landscapes.

In Rio, he turned hillsides into dramatic visual landscapes by applying
images to the facades of favela homes. In Kenya, focusing on "Women Are
Heroes," he turned Kibera into a stunning gallery of local faces. And in
Israel and Palestine, he mounted photos of people doing the same job on each
side (and a triptych with a rabbi, imam and priest) on walls across the
region. As part of this Face2Face project, he sought to show that Israelis
and Palestinians are similar enough to understand one another - despite what
separates them - by photographing them doing the same things.

JR remains anonymous - never showing his full face, revealing his name,
or explaining his huge portraits - to allow for an encounter between the
subject and passers-by.

ABOUT THE TED PRIZE

The first TED Prize was awarded in 2005, born out of the TED Conference
and a vision by the world's leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and
entertainers to change the world - one Wish at a time.

The reward: $100,000, the TED Community's array of talent and expertise,
and the leadership of a TED Prize team led by Amy Novogratz. What began as an
unparalleled experiment to leverage the resources of the TED Community to
spur global change has evolved into one of the most prestigious prizes.

From Bono's the ONE Campaign ('05 recipient) to Jamie Oliver's Food
Revolution ('10 recipient), the TED Prize is helping to combat poverty, take
on religious intolerance, improve global health, tackle child obesity,
advance education, and now inspire art around the world.

For more information on the TED Prize, visit www.tedprize.org.

    For Press Inquiries:
    Erin Allweiss, eallweiss@groupsjr.com
    +1-917-512-2118/+1-202-446-8265 cell

Erin Allweiss, eallweiss at groupsjr.com, +1-917-512-2118, or +1-202-446-8265, cell