Centro Educacional Leonardo Da Vinci

Por Cristiano Carvalho e Kieron Jones

Os alunos do 8º ano da University of Missouri Middle School Global Leaders no Da Vinci estão estudando temas relacionados aos direitos humanos. Na primeira unidade deste ano os alunos estão debatendo o significado de ser humano para definir o que são direitos humanos. No primeiro projeto do ano, chamado de “Inside Out” e inspirado no trabalho homônimo do artista francês JR, os alunos fotografaram membros da escola ou de sua comunidade e escreveram um texto sobre como essas pessoas podem ser agentes de mudança em suas comunidades.

Segue abaixo relato do professor Kieron Jones sobre o projeto e imagens da exposição realizada com as fotos e textos dos alunos.

In Mizzou Middle School, Grade 8 students are thinking about the United Nations (UN) and looking closely at the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR).

We have discussed how art can be used to challenge the status quo and improve the way we live as a global community and as part of our studies we watched a video about the award winning graffiti artist called JR.

JR believes the street is “the largest art gallery in the world”.

Describing himself as a “photograffeur”, he flyposts large black-and-white photographic images, in public locations to provoke discussion on human rights’ issues such as freedom and identity.

In 2010 JR started the “Inside Out Project”, a global art initiative that has allowed thousands of people around the world to speak to their communities through portraits pasted in public spaces.

The UNDHR is based on the belief that we are all born equal and free in the world. This inspired us to come up with the title of our own “Inside Out” project; “We are the same”.

Just like JR we wanted to mix pictures of our local community (ourselves) with different faces from around the world to provoke discussion on what it means to be “equal” and “free”.

We want you to interact with our art and look closely at the different faces and images and challenge you with the statement; “If we are born free and equal, we are the same”.

Through making the statement we hope you ask yourself the questions; “Are we the same? If we are born free and equal, do people really stay the same and why?

If you are looking at our images with a friend or a group of friends then hopefully it will create a discussion between you and your friends too!

As the great Shakespeare once said; “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”.