JR to sculpt stone-like cavern across paris's pont neuf

the pont neuf to be transformed again after 40 years

As Paris marks forty years since Christo and Jeanne-Claude activated the Pont Neuf with The Pont Neuf Wrapped, a landmark installation that elevated the bridge from an infrastructural icon to an ephemeral work of art, French artist JR prepares La Caverne du Pont Neuf, an immersive temporary installation that will transform the historic bridge into a monumental stone-like cavern visitors can walk through. On view from June 6th to June 28th, 2026, the project extends the lineage of temporary urban transformations into a new generation through architecture, sound, and augmented reality.

The original project, executed in 1985, wrapped the city’s oldest bridge in 41,800 square meters of fabric, secured by thirteen kilometers of rope and twelve tons of steel cables. This vision took a decade of planning and negotiations before it came to life. The wrapping remained on the bridge for two weeks, during which three million visitors engaged with the installation. True to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s philosophy, the project invited the public‘s individual interpretation, embracing the transient nature of art. ‘I wanted to transform it, to turn it from an architectural object, an object of inspiration for artists, to an art object itself,’ Christo explained at the time. ‘I wanted it to become a sculpture for the first time, but an ephemeral one.’ Instead of wrapping the bridge as Christo and Jeanne-Claude once did, JR imagines the Pont Neuf as an inhabitable landscape. Conceived as a symbolic crossing through a cavernous interior, the installation invites visitors to move through a suspended environment where raw geological textures collide with the refinement of Parisian architecture.

jr’s homage to christo and jeanne-claude

To commemorate this anniversary, contemporary artist JR will reimagine the Pont Neuf with Projet Pont Neuf, a large-scale installation inspired by Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s groundbreaking work. Collaborating with the team at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, JR’s vision will transform the iconic bridge into a stone-like cave for two weeks in Summer 2026. Built as a monumental inflatable structure composed of printed fabric and air-filled arches, La Caverne du Pont Neuf creates a trompe-l’oeil illusion of mineral formations emerging across the bridge. The installation draws inspiration from the limestone quarries that supplied the stone used to construct much of historic Paris.

Drawing inspiration from the quarries that provided Paris with its historic stones, JR’s design juxtaposes the city’s refined elegance with raw, untamed textures. The installation will serve as a reflection on Paris’ evolving relationship with nature and architecture.

‘I’m very inspired by the artistic vision of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and I share their idea that the mission of art is to make the public think,’ JR notes. ‘The debate that a monumental project in the public space can provoke is of equal value to its artistic realization. Art is a transformation, and a way of renewing the way we look at the world around us.’ Inside the structure, visitors will be able to cross through a tunnel-like interior envisioned as a sensory journey. JR describes the passage through La Caverne as ‘a step into the unknown’ where fullness and emptiness coexist, extending themes explored in his earlier Retour à la Caverne installations in Paris, Florence, and Rome.

THOMAS BANGALTER CREATES THE PROJECT’S SONIC LANDSCAPE

JR has also invited Thomas Bangalter, former member of Daft Punk, to create the sound environment for La Caverne du Pont Neuf. Rather than composing a traditional musical score, Bangalter describes the intervention as an electroacoustic texture intended to ‘mineralize’ the cavern through resonance and atmosphere.

Bangalter recalls Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wrapped bridge as one of his most vivid childhood artistic memories, describing the original installation as ‘the most inspiring’ artwork he had ever seen.

The installation will also incorporate an augmented reality experience developed in collaboration with Snap’s AR Studio Paris. Titled Echoes, the digital layer introduces animated visual traces inspired by Étienne-Jules Marey’s chronophotography research, allowing visitors to experience shifting bodies, light, and movement through mobile devices and Snap Spectacles.

paris Continues its Legacy of Public Art

The project has received enthusiastic support from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who recalls her own experience with The Pont Neuf Wrapped. ‘In 1985, I was fascinated by Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wrapping of the Pont Neuf… It was an unforgettable moment of poetry and beauty,’ the mayor says. ‘What a wonderful idea to revive this artistic gesture thanks to JR’s universe and immense talent!‘

Accessible free of charge twenty-four hours a day, the installation is designed to be experienced from multiple vantage points across the city, including the Seine riverbanks, nearby bridges, and riverboat routes. Its monumental scale will also make the work visible from elevated viewpoints across Paris.

JR and his collaborators have emphasized lightweight construction and material reuse throughout the project’s development. Using air as its primary structural material, the installation minimizes intervention on the historic bridge while reducing transportation and construction impact compared to conventional temporary architecture.

JR and his team, supported by the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, are working with local officials to carefully plan the installation, ensuring that it resonates with the city and its residents. As with its predecessor, Projet Pont Neuf will be privately funded.

Reflecting on the enduring impact of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work, Vladimir Yavachev, Christo’s nephew and director of projects for the late artists, highlights the evolution of public art in Paris. ‘It’s really beautiful to see how much Paris has increased its commitment to public art in the past 40 years,’ Yavachev says. ‘Knowing JR’s dedication to public art, he’s an ideal artist for this tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude.’

Projet Pont Neuf will invite Parisians and visitors alike to engage with the city’s beloved bridge in a completely new way, celebrating the timeless dialogue between art, architecture, and the urban landscape.

The Pont Neuf Wrapped (Project for Paris), Collage 1984, pencil, wax crayon, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, and masking tape, private collection, photo: Archive © 1984 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation