JR ‘La Caverne du Pont Neuf’
In June 2026, La Caverne du Pont Neuf, a temporary artwork conceived by JR, will rise at the heart of Paris. On view from June 6 to 28, the installation will pay tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Pont Neuf Wrapped, which marked its fortieth anniversary in 2025. It will offer Parisians and visitors a time-limited opportunity to experience an ephemeral reimagining of the city’s oldest bridge.
The project is facilitated by L’Amicale des Ponts de Paris endowment fund. The installation will not use any government sources. It will be funded by the sale of JR’s works along with private support including Snap Inc., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Paris Aéroport and Salesforce. La Caverne du Pont Neuf will be accessible free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It will also be possible to view it from a multitude of viewpoints, whether walking or cycling, from the banks of the Seine, the high quays and a series of nearby bridges, as well as from the water thanks to riverboat services, river shuttles and cruises on the Seine.
Given its monumental scale, La Caverne du Pont Neuf will also be visible beyond the immediate surroundings of the Pont Neuf, much like the aerial panorama from the top floor of the Eiffel Tower. Over its three weeks on view, visitors will be able to chart their own path through the French capital to experience the art installation from different angles. All visitor information is available on this dedicated website.
At the genesis of La Caverne du Pont Neuf, JR’s vision was inspired by the quarries from which the bridge’s stones were extracted and emphasizes the origins of Paris’ historic architecture. The artwork will ultimately juxtapose the raw and wild with the refined elegance of the City of Light, creating a dialogue between the past and the present. The Pont Neuf was completed in 1607, and was the first bridge in Paris that did not use wood and was built entirely of Lutetian limestone, known as Paris stone.
JR proposed to Thomas Bangalter, former member of the duo Daft Punk, to participate in the project by inviting him to imagine the sound dimension of La Caverne du Pont Neuf. As an acoustic plastic artist, Thomas Bangalter therefore sought to envelop La Caverne du Pont Neuf in a unique fabric that would be sonic without actually being music. Through a conceptual and radical approach, he has since conceived a texture that is both minimal and maximal, in line with the rest of the work of art.
Throughout the three weeks of the presentation, particular attention will be paid to welcoming visitors, who will enter La Caverne from the Place du Pont Neuf – Christo et Jeanne-Claude and exit onto the Quai du Louvre. This welcome experience will be anchored by Bloomberg Connects, the free digital platform created by Bloomberg Philanthropies and leader in innovative technology for cultural institutions.
