I think I should start with a brief explanation of what the TED Prize is; TED stands for: Technology, Entertainment, and Design.

“The TED Prize is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000 and, much more important, “One Wish to Change the World.” Designed to leverage the TED community’s exceptional array of talent and resources, the Prize leads to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.” (www.tedprize.org)

The winner of the TED prize this year was “JR”, a French graffiti artist whose real name seems to be a mystery. JR’s recent work consists of taking close-up pictures of people’s faces, creating larger than life art galleries with paper prints, and then gluing them in strategic parts of a town or city. My favorite piece was the one done in Africa with the pictures of people’s eyes on three moving train cars as they completed the faces glued to a mountainside village; it was amazing. His other projects span around the world: Paris, Rio, Israel, and Palestine to name a few. These projects are astounding and seem to have a positive impact on the communities.

The fact that JR started out as a graffiti artist just goes to show that he is not afraid to take risks. Gluing his artwork on government buildings, gang-controlled Brazilian favelas, and different places in the Middle East certainly takes some guts. JR was asked: “Could art change the world?” He replied: “Art cannot change the world, but it can change the perception of the world.” I agree; once people step back and look at something as art, it allows them to keep an open mind and consider things from various angles.