The countdown has begun. French street artist JR has taken over Pont Neuf in Paris.
On 6 June, the city's oldest bridge will be open to the public to experience in a completely new way.
La Caverne du Pont Neufis the title of his monumental work: 120 metres long, 20 metres wide and up to 18 metres high.
The work is a tribute to artistic couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Pont Neuf Wrapped, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025.
For the artist, the idea is to “juxtapose the raw and the wild”, to establish “a dialogue between past and present”.
Some Parisians are thrilled, others rather less so.
“I like Paris when it’s alive, and this obviously looks set to be a very fine event,” enthuses a man in his thirties in front of the old bridge, currently under renovation.
“I’m a bit disappointed, in so far as it isn’t exactly making my heart race for now,” grumbles a Parisian woman.
La Caverne du Pont Neuf will be open to the public, 24 hours a day, for three weeks.
It is an immersive work: JR has entrusted former Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter with creating the soundscape that will fill the space.
And, as with the wrapped Pont Neuf, JR’s Cavern is a project funded entirely by private patronage.
La Caverne du Pont Neuf will be open from 6 to 28 June, 2026.
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