The French artist JR, often dubbed the 'French Banksy', has unveiled a monumental art installation on Paris's oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf. Titled 'La Caverne du Pont Neuf', the installation transforms the bridge into an overground cave using vast swathes of printed fabric designed to resemble the Lutetian limestone on which the city is built.
The installation, which opened on Monday after a 10-day delay due to fabric damage from strong winds, is an immersive experience intended to evoke primeval fears of darkness and entrapment. Visitors walk through a 120-metre-long, 18-metre-high rocky passage, accompanied by a soundscape from Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk and a subtle scent of damp soil created by a professional perfumer.
JR said the idea emerged from a conversation with Vladimir Yavachev, nephew of the late artist Christo, who wrapped the Pont Neuf with his wife Jeanne-Claude in 1985. 'I started dreaming and sketching, and the idea of the cave emerged,' JR explained. He noted that the cave concept connects to the earliest origins of art, when early humans painted on rock walls.
The installation aims to disorient visitors, making them forget they are crossing a bridge in central Paris. 'When we enter the cavern, we won't see the exit. We'll have to make a journey through our sources, our origins, to then catch a glimpse of the light. It's supposed to make you uncomfortable in a certain way,' JR said.
