Starting May 11, 2026, French artist JR has begun assembling "La Caverne du Pont Neuf" (The Cave at Pont Neuf), a monumental temporary installation that will transform Paris's oldest bridge into an immersive open-air cave. The project, open to the public from June 6 to 28, 2026, features inflatable structures, optical illusions, light shows, and augmented reality technology developed by Snap's AR Studio Paris. It includes a mineral soundscape by Thomas Bangalter (formerly of Daft Punk) and is funded entirely through private means, including support from L'Amicale des Ponts de Paris and sales of JR's works.
The installation matters as a direct homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's iconic 1985 wrapping of the Pont Neuf, forty years later, while offering a distinct artistic vision that exposes the city's mineral roots. It represents a major public art intervention in Paris, blending heritage with cutting-edge technology and demonstrating the continued viability of privately funded monumental art. The project also highlights JR's signature style of trompe-l'œil and impossible perspectives, and his ongoing collaboration with Thomas Bangalter.