‘Inside Out Project’ Highlights Diversity of French-Speaking Francophiles in San Francisco

You may have seen the Inside Out Project in a city near you! Created in 2011 by French photographer and artist, JR, the global art project allows participating communities to create and support their message (also known as a “group action”) through independently organized public art installations.

In early June 2024, the Alliance Française de San Francisco (AFSF) put out a call for participation in the group action, “Les visages de la Francophonie” which aims to show the faces of Francophonie across different Alliances Françaises and different cities around the world. Each participating Alliance Française creates its own collage of their community while being part of a large-scale initiative to highlight the diversity of the French-speaking world.

As a Francophile from San Francisco and member of the AFSF, I was thrilled to answer their call to participate and add mon visage to the project!

Individual photo shoots were held in San Francisco in June and July. Afterward, the digital images were sent to the Inside Out Project team in New York to be printed in black and white on 36in x 53in/90cm x 135cm paper. In August, the posters arrived and community members affixed them onto the wall on the Fern Street side of the AFSF building located on 1345 Bush Street in San Francisco.

Here is part of the wall (that’s me on the top left):

AFSF says the Inside Out Project “represents a tremendous opportunity to promote our French-speaking and Francophile community, particularly in the cosmopolitan city of San Francisco, a true symbol of openness and diversity.” They recently opened the Francophone History Museum to further enrich understanding and appreciation of Francophone heritage in San Francisco.

Since 2011, more than 500,000 people in 152 countries and territories have participated in the Inside Out Project. In addition to topics like community, culture, and diversity, Inside Out Actions have revolved around art, children’s rights, climate change, education, feminism, racism, and more. These installations are documented and shared online.

📸 To see photos of the August 2024 portrait installation in San Francisco, visit the Inside Out Project website.

J’adore le beau son de la langue française et je remercie l’Alliance Française de San Francisco pour l’opportunité de participer à ce projet d’art mondial avec notre communauté locale et multiculturelle. Apprenons le français ! (I love the beautiful sound of the French language and I thank the Alliance Française de San Francisco for the opportunity to participate in this global art project with our local and multicultural community. Let’s learn French!)

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