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In Rio, the Most Instagrammed Olympians Aren’t Even Competing

Instead, they’re towering over the city, thanks to the French street artist JR.


Flamingo 4.jpg
Courtesy of JR

Ryan Lochte isn’t the only athlete who’s causing a commotion in Rio: Having conquered the Louvre, French artist and provocateur JR has moved onto Brazil, rolling out his latest eye-catching installations just in time for the Olympics. Brazilian diver Cleuson Lima do Rosario, Sudanese high-jumper Mohamed Youness Idress, and French triathlete Léonie Périault might not be competing this year, but they’ve still made it to the Games, towering over the city in some monumental feats of scaffolding. But “The Giants” aren’t alone: JR’s also been installing the faces of ordinary visitors and brasileiros who drop by his photo truck, which has been traveling around the city as part of his global Inside Out Project. Whether they’ve tracked it down or not, though, no one seems to be able to avoid the Olympians on Instagram. See the winning shots, here.

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