PARIS (AP) — Paris’ most historic bridge is disappearing this week beneath a massive artistic creation, as renowned street artist JR — often called the “French Banksy” — has completed inflating an enormous “cave” structure over the Pont Neuf.
The impressive rocky illusion is engulfing the centuries-old bridge, which has transported Parisians over the Seine River for more than four centuries. As of Thursday, the installation created the appearance of an ancient cliff formation emerging in the center of the city.
The inflation work, completed during nighttime hours following weather-related postponements, represents the most spectacular phase of an endeavor that has been developing for over a year.
This ranks among Paris’ most daring public art installations in recent decades, financed through sales of JR’s artwork and several corporate sponsors, and won’t welcome visitors until June 6.
“We’re about to leave something pretty incredible in the middle of Paris,” JR told The Associated Press earlier this year at his studio in the city’s east, wearing his trademark hat and shades.
The bridge’s metamorphosis has been captured by AP photographers since March using time-lapse equipment, including cameras positioned on an elevated rooftop overlooking the river, recording the bridge’s gradual concealment over time.
From an external perspective, the artwork resembles a stone formation that “literally” disrupts the cityscape, explained JR, who has gained recognition for mounting massive photographic works on structures, walls and rooftops worldwide. This project aims to encourage Parisians to do something uncommon on their most trafficked bridge: pause.
The public will have free access to walk through an extended, darkened passage that blocks all natural light and where, JR notes, visitors “will lose track of time.”
The scale is remarkable. The construction spans 120 meters (393 feet) in length and rises 18 meters (59 feet) high — equivalent to a six-story structure.
Despite its size, it consists almost completely of air — 80 fabric sections containing 20,000 cubic meters of it — and has a total weight of just five tons. The material was manually sewn by 25 craftspeople in a Brittany village.
The historic stonework remains untouched.
Releasing the air would cause the cliff to deflate like an exhaled breath — a scenario JR’s technical team practiced repeatedly in an Orly airport hangar to ensure that any power failure would result in a controlled, gentle descent.
The installation, titled La Caverne du Pont Neuf, honors a legendary Parisian art duo.
In 1985, artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, covered this same bridge with pale golden material — using 13 kilometers of rope, enduring a decade of municipal negotiations, and attracting three million visitors over two weeks. Their work helped establish the concept of large-scale art in contemporary urban spaces.
A nearby plaza now bears their names.
“It’s pretty hard to go after them,” JR said.
His concept, he explained, involves returning “mineral and nature” to the city center. Rather than concealing the bridge, he’s revealing it — returning the carved stone to its origins in the limestone quarries that built Paris.
The cave also serves as a cautionary message. JR designed it referencing Plato’s allegory, where captives confuse wall shadows with actual reality.
“What are our caves today? Our phones,” he said. “Because we believe that our algorithm on social media is the reality.”
He then acknowledges the irony: to experience his cave commentary about screens, visitors must use their phones.
Technology company Snap has created an augmented-reality component that reveals hidden elements invisible to the naked eye.
The audio features deep, mineral-like tones from Thomas Bangalter, previously of Daft Punk — who was 10 when Christo covered the bridge.
The cave will operate continuously from June 6-28, blocking vehicle traffic and remaining visible from riverbanks, passing watercraft, and even the Eiffel Tower’s summit.
The timing aligns with Paris Fashion Week, World Music Day and the overnight Nuit Blanche arts celebration.
Following removal, the fabric materials will be repurposed or recycled. Air, JR emphasizes, creates no lasting impact.
Eventually, like the golden covering four decades earlier, the cave will vanish — and the Pont Neuf, predating both the republic and revolution, will emerge unchanged.
