Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, was transformed into a cave-like grotto through a public artwork by JR. The bridge was wrapped in fabric painted white, grey, and black to resemble rocky terrain. The installation measures about 120 metres long and 20 metres wide, with heights ranging from 12 to 18 metres. People gathered along the Seine to view the contrast between the grotto effect and Parisian architecture. JR created the work as a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who wrapped Pont Neuf in 1985 and the Arc de Triomphe in 2021. From June 6 to 28, visitors can explore inside, with music by Thomas Bangalter.
"JR, dubbed the "French Banksy" after the British street artist, has wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric painted white, grey and black to create the impression of a rocky grotto. The creation, 120 metres long, 20 metres wide and varying in height from 12 to 18 metres, drew curious onlookers to the banks of the Seine on a sunny spring morning."
"JR, who began his career as a street Paris graffiti tagger and has become one of the best-known figures on the French art scene, created the work as a tribute to the duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric in 1985, drawing millions of visitors, as well as the Arc de Triomphe in 2021."
"From June 6th to 28th, visitors will be able to explore inside the new work, with electro artist Thomas Bangalter -- one half of legendary French dance act Daft Punk -- providing the soundtrack. JR said he wanted to "juxtapose the rough and the wild with the refined elegance of Paris, creating a dialogue between the past and the present."
""There is also a kind of unknown, of fear, of entering into a cave -- and at the same time, a fascination," he told AFP. Organisers are expecting to draw big crowds, particularly foreign tourists, with some of the city's major attractions including Notre Dame cathedral just a stone's throw away."
Read at The Local France
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