Paris’ oldest bridge becomes walk-through cave installation

French street artist JR is set to transform Pont Neuf — the oldest standing bridge in Paris — into a vast walk-through cave this June, temporarily reshaping one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

French artist JR reimagines Pont Neuf as cavern

Known for his monumental photographic installations across rooftops, borders and public buildings, JR’s latest project will see the 17th-century stone arches cloaked in a rocky illusion, turning the bridge into what he describes as a cavern spanning 120 metres in length and rising over 17 metres high. Titled Pont Neuf Cavern, the installation will run from June 6 to 28 and remain accessible around the clock.

From afar, the structure will appear as though a prehistoric outcrop has erupted along the River Seine, interrupting the familiar Parisian skyline. Up close, visitors will be able to enter the tunnel-like interior and cross the river through darkness rather than daylight. According to JR, the cave will block natural light entirely, encouraging a sense of disorientation and immersion.

The project is also conceived as a tribute to the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who famously wrapped Pont Neuf in pale golden fabric in 1985. That intervention, which required years of negotiation with city authorities, remains one of the defining examples of large-scale public art in a modern metropolis. JR has spoken of his admiration for Christo, describing the new installation as both homage and departure. While acknowledging the challenge of following such an iconic work, he insists his approach is distinctly his own, centred on mineral forms and the reintroduction of raw nature into an urban setting.

Inside the cavern, sound will play a key role. Thomas Bangalter, formerly of Daft Punk, is composing an original soundscape that will be audible only within the tunnel. The audio element is intended to deepen the sense of enclosure and separation from the outside city.

Augmented reality will add another layer. Developed by Snap’s AR studio in Paris, the digital component will allow visitors to use their smartphones to access visual elements invisible to the naked eye. JR has remained deliberately vague about the specifics, framing the technology as part of a broader reflection on perception and mediated reality.

Indeed, the cave carries a philosophical undertone. JR has referenced Plato’s allegory of the cave, in which prisoners mistake shadows for truth, drawing parallels with contemporary social media algorithms and the curated realities experienced through screens. For him, the installation is less about spectacle than about questioning how we see and interpret shared spaces.

Extensive engineering tests have been conducted, including simulations in a hangar at Orly airport, to ensure the structure’s stability and safety. Visitor numbers will be limited at any given time, and the bridge will close to traffic during the three-week run, which coincides with Paris Fashion Week and World Music Day.

For a city accustomed to its monuments, Pont Neuf Cavern proposes a temporary rupture — an invitation to pause, step inside, and experience a familiar crossing anew.

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