With the Eiffel Tower on one side and Notre Dame on the other, the Pont Neuf is not only Paris's most picturesque bridge but also the city's oldest, despite its name meaning 'new bridge'. As of now, it is no longer just a bridge but an overground cave.
Vast fabric panels, woven to resemble the local limestone, have been inflated over the bridge to create 'La Caverne', a temporary art installation by French artist JR. This bonkers idea pays direct tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who wrapped the Pont Neuf over 40 years ago.
JR, often called the French Banksy, is known for making the Louvre pyramid disappear and placing portraits along the US-Mexico border. La Caverne opened on Monday, 10 days late after fabric tears from wind gusts required emergency repairs. It is billed as an immersive experience evoking primeval fears of darkness and entrapment.
The printed fabric forms a rocky passage with pillars and fissures resembling Lutetian limestone, the stone used to build Pont Neuf, Notre Dame, and the Louvre. The subterranean ambiance is enhanced by sound from Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter and a musty scent created by a professional perfumer.
JR hopes the 120m long, 18m high installation will make visitors forget they are crossing a bridge in central Paris. However, enthusiastic tourist groups and a souvenir shop opposite the exit may break the illusion.
In an interview before the opening, JR, 43, explained that the idea came from a meeting with Christo's nephew, Vladimir Yavachev. 'We were talking about the anniversary of the Pont Neuf wrapping, and Vladimir suggested I do something. Not a wrap but my own thing,' he said. 'And then I started dreaming and sketching, and the idea of the cave emerged.'
JR noted that caves relate to the earliest art origins. 'You're walking on the bridge. You know exactly where you are, but once past the entrance, you are somewhere else entirely. You don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's supposed to make you uncomfortable.'
The interview took place on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, where JR designed the L'Observatoire suite. Once a graffiti artist from the Paris suburbs, JR now creates luxury train suites. La Caverne, however, is ephemeral, closing on 28 June, after which the fabric will be recycled. 'It's like a circus that comes, puts on a spectacle, and then it's gone. But anyone who sees it will remember it every time they pass the Pont Neuf.'
