Paris is doing that cool art thing again, and you’re going to want to see this. Exactly forty years after Christo and Jeanne-Claude famously wrapped the city’s oldest bridge in golden fabric, French artist JR is back at the Paris Pont Neuf with a mind-blowing new stunt.
Say hello to La Caverne, a massive JR art installation that basically cracks the 17th-century bridge wide open to reveal a giant, hidden cave. Instead of hiding the structure, JR used a crazy 3D optical illusion printed on massive inflatables to make it look like jagged rocks are bursting right out of the arches. It’s giving total prehistoric-meets-modern-vibe, and honestly, we are here for it.
Fun Fact: The bridge was originally built from limestone quarried right beneath the city, so JR is literally bringing Paris’ hidden geological history back to the surface!
This isn’t just something you look at from afar, either. You can actually walk right through this immersive Paris cave art experience day or night, completely free. Inside, you’ll hear an eerie, cool soundscape by Thomas Bangalter (yes, half of the legendary Daft Punk!) and you can even play around with an augmented reality feature using your phone.
Like the 1985 project before it, this entire thing is privately funded and will be fully recycled afterward. If you happen to be strolling along the Seine, you can catch it in person from June 6 to June 28. Don’t forget to follow JR on Instagram to see how he pulled it off!
