Pont Neuf Transforms into Giant Inflatable Cave

Artist JR began inflating a giant cave over Paris’s Pont Neuf just after midnight on Thursday, transforming the city’s oldest bridge into a temporary rock-like structure ahead of its public opening in June. The project, called “La Caverne du Pont Neuf,” emerged over several hours during the night of May 20 to May 21 after crews got favorable weather, according to Le Parisien. The installation is a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 1985 wrapping of the same bridge, and it will be open free of charge from June 6 to June 28. Thomas Bangalter, the former Daft Punk member, created the sound environment for visitors, according to JR’s studio and Paris city officials. ### How did the bridge change overnight? The overnight operation began shortly after midnight on May 21, when electric blowers started filling the structure with air, Le Parisien reported. Printed black-and-white fabric designed to resemble rock slowly rose from the bridge deck as onlookers watched from behind security barriers. (leparisien.fr) JR told Le Parisien before the inflation started that the project was “a giant puzzle” that had to be fully zipped and strapped before air was sent inside. He said the team would proceed slowly at first so the form could take shape, with the rock structures rising to nearly 18 meters. (leparisien.fr) ### What exactly is “La Caverne du Pont Neuf”? The installation is a 120-meter-long immersive work that covers the top of the bridge and creates a cave-like passage the public will be able to walk through, according to Camille Pajot, JR’s artistic director, in comments reported by 20 Minutes. Pajot said visitors would be invited to enter the structure and cross it from end to end. (leparisien.fr) JR told the City of Paris that the project extends a body of work in which he has used trompe-l’oeil to create apparent openings in familiar monuments, including earlier projects at the Louvre and the Palais Garnier. On the city’s website, he said he wanted visitors to come close to the bridge’s “cracks” and “reveal what lies beneath the surface of this historic monument.” (20minutes.fr) ### Why is Christo part of the story? The Pont Neuf was wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1985, and JR has presented his project as a direct homage 40 years later. The City of Paris said JR is collaborating with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation on the new work. JR told the city he had long felt close to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work and shared their principle of self-financing without logos. (paris.fr) JR’s studio said the new installation is funded through sales of his works and private support, including Snap Inc., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Paris Aéroport and Salesforce, with no public funding. ### How big is the structure, and who built it? Le Parisien reported that the project uses 18,900 square meters of fabric, 20,000 cubic meters of air and a structure weighing 5 tons. The printed skin is designed to give the illusion of a stone cavern rather than an inflatable shell. (paris.fr) 20 Minutes reported that 800 people, including engineers, builders and artists, worked on assembling the installation. The same report described the structure as 120 meters long, 20 meters wide and up to 18 meters high. ### Where does Thomas Bangalter fit in? (leparisien.fr) Thomas Bangalter, identified by JR’s studio as a former member of Daft Punk, was invited to create the project’s sonic dimension. JR’s website said the collaboration followed earlier work between JR and Bangalter connected to “Retour à la Caverne” at the Paris Opera in 2023. (20minutes.fr) Camille Pajot told 20 Minutes that Bangalter wanted to “wrap the bridge in a sonic layer” and create thickness through sound so visitors would be projected into a completely different environment. The soundscape will accompany the walk-through installation when it opens in June. (jr-art.net) ### When can people see it for themselves? June 6 is the public opening date for “La Caverne du Pont Neuf,” according to JR’s studio, the City of Paris and multiple local reports. The installation will remain open around the clock until June 28, with free entry for visitors. The next milestone is the full public access period from June 6 to June 28 on the Pont Neuf, when visitors will be able to cross the 120-meter structure with Bangalter’s sound environment playing inside. (20minutes.fr) (jr-art.net) (paris.fr)