When TED Prize winner, JR, announced his wish to turn the world “Inside Out,” inviting people around the globe to share a photo portrait along with a statement about what they stand for, MELD decided to participate. MELD invited six Greek photographers, including Adamantios Kafetzis, Alexandros Voutsas, Ioanna Ralli, Ryme63/StateofMind, Stavros Makris and Yiannis Chiotpopoulos to donate their time to create face-to-face portraits of children from privileged and un-privileged social backgrounds living in Athens. “We believe this time of financial uncertainty and individual and collective despair has brought us to a moment of truth, and thus an opportunity to reconsider the intrinsic value of artistic practice as a cultural catalyst to provoke change. As economic and social tensions rise in Athens, there is an absolute need for communication and understanding of the “other.” Through mutual respect and compassion, the photographers have the responsibility and privilege to create a bridge and engage the respective communities for the group action. With more than 60 children participating, this project is an opportunity to try to de-mystify the concept of “the other” and thus humanize every individual, whatever their ethnicity or social class may be.”

Eyes of Truth , An Inside Out Athens Group Action was inspired to participate in JR’s TED Prize wish to demonstrate our community’s commitment to the importance of embracing the other. Choosing to photograph children is a reminder that we are a collective group of people living in the world and that we have a responsibility to communicate as a means of understanding one another. Through this group action, we hope to bring awareness to issues including immigration, integration and child trafficking, among others and unite the citizens of Athens as a collective of humankind. It is an extraordinary opportunity to join forces and engage with others around the world by adding their voices and faces to stand publicly for what they believe in.