Visitors can now finally walk through the latest installation by French street artist JR on the oldest bridge in Paris, “La Caverne du Pont Neuf.” An earlier opening had been delayed due to storm damage.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
Measuring 120 meters (400 feet) long, 20 meters wide and up to 18 meters high, a gigantic walk-through installation has transformed the French capital’s most famous bridge into an Alpine panorama. The inflatable fabric landscape by street artist JR and his team is titled “La Caverne du Pont Neuf” (“The Pont Neuf Cave”).
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
The first visitors were able to explore the newly opened installation on Monday evening after emergency repairs to the canvas structure. The bridge’s opening had originally been scheduled for early June, but strong winds damaged the project.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
Street artist JR — also known as the “French Banksy” — has made the bridge virtually disappear beneath his installation. Following the storm damage, technicians spent weeks working to restore the artwork.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
Until the very last moment, it was unclear whether and when an opening would even be possible. “We spent days and nights to rebuild it,” JR explained in an Instagram story over the weekend, admitting that at times they “thought it would never come back.”
Image: Christophe Delattre/AFP
With his latest work, JR aims to pay tribute to the late artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The duo was known for monumental, temporary installations in which they wrapped landmarks, such as the Reichstag in Berlin in 1995.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
Christo and Jeanne-Claude also covered the Pont Neuf in 1985, after years of persuasion. Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, blocked and delayed the project several times because he feared criticism from the public.
Image: 1985 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, Photo: Wolfgang Volz
So far, there has been virtually no criticism of JR’s work — the city has hailed the walk-through bridge cavern as the “world’s largest immersive artwork.” As with his previous projects, JR is less concerned with the object itself than with transforming the way the city is viewed. “La Caverne du Pont Neuf” is his largest project to date.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP
The exact cost of JR’s project is unknown, though media reports have put it in the six-figure range. As the artist’s team emphasized, the project was realized without public money and was financed exclusively by private supporters and the sale of JR’s works.
Image: Stéphane Geufroi/MAXPPP/picture alliance
An additional highlight awaits visitors upon entering the installation: former Daft Punk musician Thomas Bangalter has created a soundscape for the cave’s interior. The installation is free to visit, and will remain open until June 28.
Image: Joel Saget/AFP9 images1 | 99 imageshttps://p.dw.com/p/5FVaa
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