Pont Neuf in Paris to be transformed into the world’s largest immersive artwork

The oldest bridge in Paris is set to become the world’s largest immersive artwork for three weeks this June. 

The temporary installation, titled ‘La Caverne du Pont Neuf’, has been designed by contemporary urban artist JR. 

Initial illustrations show that the bridge will be transformed into a tunnel with jagged faux rocks up to 18 metres high, stretching 120 metres from the Quai de la Mégisserie to the Place du Pont Neuf - Christo et Jeanne-Claude on the Île de la Cité in the centre of Paris.

Members of the public will be able to walk through the artwork while crossing the bridge. It will also be visible from the banks of the Seine, from nearby bridges, and from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

It will be free to access from June 6-28.

The installation is a tribute to artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 work ‘The Pont Neuf Wrapped’, which saw the bridge covered in 41,800m² of sandstone-coloured fabric, secured by 13km of rope. 

“My vision for this project is rooted in both the past and present of this iconic bridge,” JR stated. 

“I was 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 – or rethink – about the familiar,” he added.

Optical illusions, augmented reality and musical immersion

The design is also inspired by the quarries of the Oise department, where the stones for the Pont Neuf were originally sourced. 

From inside the artwork, visitors will encounter a series of interactive experiences, visual effects and immersive sounds composed by Thomas Bangalter, one of the members of the now-disbanded French electronic duo, Daft Punk.

While the artwork may look as though it is made of limestone, it will actually be created with air, showcasing 80 structural arches covered with 18,900m² of printed canvas and then inflated.

JR has made several similar optical illusion artworks in Paris and around the world. 

This upcoming installation will echo his 2023 creation ‘Retour à la Caverne’, which covered the facade of the Paris Opera with a canvas showing the entrance to a cave. 

In 2021, JR created a large optical illusion on the Place du Trocadéro using stickers that appeared to show the Eiffel Tower balanced precariously between two cliffs, with busy city streets running below.

In 2019, his work transformed the famous glass pyramid of the Louvre. From a precise perspective on the museum’s third floor, viewers could see the pyramid stretching far below the earth out of an excavated crater at twice its usual height.