National public art project focuses on faces in the crowd

A crew conducting a national public art project to raise awareness for immigration reform made a stop Friday in downtown Roanoke.

A van with a giant eye printed on its side parked outside 16 West Marketplace on Church Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., taking photos of passers-by who lined up. Each subject got to pose with their larger-than-life size portraits, which were then posted on the wall of the Heironimus building next door.

The Inside Out 11M tour has visited 18 cities so far, including Roanoke, and created similar temporary art installations.

"We want every member of the community to come out, to start a conversation about immigration, but also just to acknowledge common identity," said Meryam Bouadjemi, 24, the Baltimore artist who works as field director for the project's East Coast photo booth van.

The van was there at the invitation of Silver Seas public relations director River Laker, who coordinates events for 16 West. Laker learned of the project and their interest in Roanoke just a week ago and set about paving the way for their visit.

"Roanoke cannot miss out on this," he said.

The origins of Inside Out 11M involve both an internationally celebrated French street artist known by the initials JR, and Davis Guggenheim, the filmmaker behind such documentaries as "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Waiting for 'Superman.' "

Guggenheim's short film "The Dream is Now" chronicles the lives of four young undocumented Latino immigrants, arguing that they and others like them should be granted a path to achieve citizenship.

Bouadjemi worked on the film, and 19-year-old Alejandro Morales, who greeted people in line Friday and explained the project, was one of the film's subjects.

Born in Mexico, Morales said he grew up in Chicago. Before he graduated from high school, he rose to be the highest ranking cadet in the Chicago JROTC. He wanted to enlist in the U.S. Marines, but he couldn't because of his immigration status.

"I'm doing this for other people in my situation," he said.

"The Dream is Now" project reached out to artist JR, who two years ago created a global project called Inside Out after winning a $100,000 TED Prize.

The project invited groups of six or more to submit photos of themselves and a statement of the cause they represent. The artist would send back giant prints of the photographs that the groups could use for a public art installation. The groups have ranged from Lakota Indians in North Dakota to protesters in Iran.

The 11M in "Inside Out 11M" refers to 11 million undocumented immigrants believed to live in the United States. But participation is open to everyone.

"We're all immigrants somewhere down the line," Bouadjemi said.

As of 1:30 p.m. Friday the crew had collected more than 100 photos. Some who lined up supported the cause, while others just thought the project looked interesting.

"It's just a good opportunity for different walks of life, for different people to come together for a good cause," said Tracy Hayth, 33, a Carilion Clinic employee who lives in Roanoke.

"It's a novel way of getting out information, making people aware," said Jodie Caplan, 56, another Carilion employee.

Mike Austin, 24, of Christiansburg had gotten in line before going to work at Blue 5 Restaurant. "I just think it'd be cool to put a picture up on a building and cover it," he said.

"I've been a fan of JR's work for years," said Hollins University photography professor Christine Carr, 44, who was behind Austin in line.

Beside her, Amy Moorefield, the Taubman Museum of Art's new deputy director of exhibitions, praised Laker "for bringing this phenomenal experience to Roanoke."

Info: www.insideoutproject.net/11M/

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