In honor of the Olympics, French artist JR installs giant athletes in Rio

2016-08-04T13:16:00-04:00

The French artist who goes by JR, known for flyposting large-scale photographs in cities around the world, has set up shop in Rio, just in time for the Olympic opening ceremony this Friday. As part of his ongoing worldwide Inside Out project, and under the invitation of the IOC, he's installed two giant sculptures of athletes in the city, posed in such a way that Rio itself is their stadium.

One is a diver, in a swan pose over the Barra da Tijuca, the other a high-jumper, curving over the top of the Hilton Santos in the Flamengo neighborhood. The athletes are made from printed fabric stretched over a scaffolding frame, and have been under construction since June.

h/t The Spaces

Check out more news from Rio:

The rapid gentrification of Rio's favelas in advance of the Olympics

2016-06-15T13:22:00-04:00

For decades, state neglect forced a pace of progress that was slow and painful in Rio’s favelas, which – unlike many other informal settlements around the world – have a largely stable population. While some residents express satisfaction that state involvement has brought new income streams and improved security, there is anger that changes are imposed from outside, without consultation with residents.

For more on the upcoming Rio Olympic Games, check out these links:

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In honor of the Olympics, French artist JR installs giant athletes in Rio

The rapid gentrification of Rio's favelas in advance of the Olympics