Public art by the likes of Vik Muniz and JR has helped transform the bustling Olympic Boulevard in central Rio into one of the city's most popular attractions for culture vultures.

Already home to the spectacular Olympic cauldron, designed by Anthony Howe, and to a massive 190 metre mural by Eduardo Kobra, the Olympic Boulevard has become a must-see for lovers of contemporary art.

Vik Muniz, who is one of the creative directors of the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, has covered the front of an entire building with his artwork "Rumpled Uniform."

"When I rumple something, it stops being what it used to be. It is as if I am subverting its purpose," Muniz said.

Stretching 3.5km along the portside of Rio, the Olympic Boulevard also run past two new musuems, the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) and the Museum of Art of Rio, both located on Praça Mauá.

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The renovation of the waterfront district, complete with a high-tech tram network, is one of the most visible legacies of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Other artists who have installed their work in the Olympic Boulevard include Rita Wainer, who has painted onto the side of a building the image of a long-haired girl and a phrase about waiting for love.

"As the mural faces out to sea, it is as if she was waiting for the sailor to arrive," Wainer said.

JR, the French street artist who is an artist-in-residence for Rio 2016, has installed his 'Inside Out'project. Members of the public are invited to take pictures inside a booth and then stick them to a side of an old warehouse or on the ground of the Boulevard itself.

'Inside Out' by JR has proved a big hit with the Rio public (Source: IOC)

The installation, which will be completed on Sunday (14 August) is one of the most popular attractions in the district.

Locals line up to get their photo taken and displayed for posterity (Photo: IOC)

Also a hit with the public is a 3D projection mapping project created by Paulinho Sacramento: every evening, Sacramento projects 3D images onto the side of a building in Praça Mauá.

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Other artists who are completing projects in the region include Brazilians: Camiz Camila, Wark Rocinha and Guilherme Kid.

Check out the full Olympic Boulevard schedule and interactive map

Olympic Games tickets are available to buy on the Rio 2016 portal