June 2026

The Pont Neuf Cavern was to open on June 3rd but was heavily damaged in high winds, as can be seen here.  It finally did open on June 18th.

The installation, which is a printed fabric in white, black, and grey, is meant to evoke the Lutetian limestone quarries from which the stone was extracted for the construction of the Pont Neuf, as well as Notre Dame and the Louvre.

Built with private funding, it is the brainchild of an artist who goes by JR and is an ode to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who wrapped the Pont Neuf forty years ago, when JR was a mere two years old.

Through his foundation Can Art Change The World?, JR explores the power of art, culture, and education to bring about social change, both on a global scale and in local communities.

Here you can see how the fabric is printed
Walking through the interior

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It is always special when you are able to visit such a massive and yet temporary installation. However, this truly fell short of any definition of art I might be able to muster.

Inside were QR codes you could download, then point towards the walls.  Here are the two that I could actually capture; the third was far too ethereal to even understand.

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These are supposed to be flying bats
I have no idea what this was supposed to represent