Skip to main content

Inside Out Project takes your selfies and plasters them in the middle of Times Square

Inside Out Project time square
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Instagram generation has shed a whole new light on selfies, and nothing screams the ultimate selfie like a poster-sized portrait of yourself plastered in the middle of Times Square, New York. As part of the Inside Out Project, a photo booth truck has been planted in the heart of the city to offer pedestrians the chance to express themselves in a simple but larger than life black and white picture.

Inside Out Project Pharrell NYCDubbed “The People’s Art Project,” Inside Out is a production of a French artist who goes by the initials JR. The project has traveled across the globe to find participants willing to share a part of themselves with the world. Since its pit stop in Times Square on April 22, the photo booth averages about 250 portraits a day during its eight-hour shift. Participants have ranged from school kids spending the afternoon in the city to a sports fanatic showing his team’s jersey to photographers hiding behind their own cameras… even musicians like N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams has stopped by.

Recommended Videos

“It’s called the Inside Out Project because it gives people the opportunity to expose their inside out to the world,” project producer Marc Azoulay tells me. “It lets you show what you want to tell to the world with just your face on a gigantic photo in the middle of the city.” The project chose to locate in Times Square because it was the site of the world’s first traditional photo booth nearly 100 years ago.

Inside Out Project print outUnlike those old machines, Inside Out Project’s digital booth is outfitted in the back of a full-sized truck. A large-format printer is also hidden within, and prints the snapped portrait in less than a minute. Afterward, participants can choose to take home the giant print or let project volunteers paste the poster onto the grounds of Duffy Square for the world to see, step on, admire, or take photos of. The photos are then replaced on a daily basis as more portraits are taken. If you’ve never felt stepped over by New Yorkers before, well, now’s your chance.

A quick inspection of each image is strangely revealing. One man came with a photo of someone and declared his romantic interest in her for all to see. Others showed off their goofy sides with funny faces; many people simply smiled, and some looked straight into the camera like they’re having a passport photo taken. Seeing how each individual chooses to portray him or herself gives the project a layer of artistic substance that’s captivating.

The Inside Out Project also premiered its documentary special last weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival, with an HBO special debuting in May. The movie showcases an odd take on reinventing the selfie as a piece of individually curated “artwork.”

The Inside Out Project photo booth will be at Duffy Square in Times Square until May 10 between noon to 8 p.m. If you wish to participate, remember that you will be asked to sign a release to let the artist use your image.

Insideout Project NYC overhead
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Natt Garun
An avid gadgets and Internet culture enthusiast, Natt Garun spends her days bringing you the funniest, coolest, and strangest…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more