in Paris
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
in Paris
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
Hommage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf by JR
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
Public art by JR
A tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude
6 – 28 June 2026
In June, Paris will host a very special spectacle: the Pont Neuf will be wrapped and transformed into an immersive 120-metre-long installation.
The bridge was already wrapped once before, in 1985, by the renowned artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude. In 2026 — a year later than originally planned, but still — the 40th anniversary of that iconic intervention is being celebrated.
For this occasion, the French street artist JR was invited to create a new project. For him, it is an honour to have been entrusted with this commission. We are excited to see his concept, which can already be admired from the outside today.
From 6 June onwards, visitors will also be able to step inside the “Caverne” (cave) itself.
The details
at a glance
Public Artwork:
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
Public Art by JR
Homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude
June 6–28, 2026
Opening Hours:
24/7
Daily, at any time
Price:
free!
Important information:
One-way only!
From Place Pont-Neuf Christo Jeanne-Claude, walk 120 meters across the bridge and emerge on the right bank of the Seine opposite the Samaritaine department store.
Forty years after the wrapping of the Pont Neuf by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the artist JR has now been commissioned to also wrap the Pont Neuf.
Born in 1983, JR is too young to remember the 1985 intervention, but he explains that it was always a major reference point in his life and within artistic circles. He even met the artist duo, and when he was selected for this project, he felt deeply honoured.
His concept does not only involve wrapping the bridge’s architecture — it also elevates it. The installation was inflated just a few days ago and now rises between 12 and 17 metres above the bridge, making it visible from many parts of Paris.
From the outside, the project — La Caverne — resembles a mountainous landscape covered in snow. A fitting image, considering that the “cave” will soon be open for visitors to walk through.
But what awaits inside? JR explains that visitors will be able to experience an immersive 120-metre-long walk-through installation (one direction only), open 24/7 and free of charge. The experience is accompanied by music composed by Thomas Bangalter. Beyond that, very little has been revealed so far — so we will have to wait a few more days.
The message behind the project, according to JR, is that public art has not been as bold and spectacular in recent years as he would like. In his view, not enough daring projects are being created today — something that was very different in Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s time. That is why he is particularly excited about this work.
Note: In 2022, there was a Christo-related project at the Arc de Triomphe — a moment we still look back on fondly. Here is the report from that time.
JR concludes the interview (from which these insights are drawn) with a powerful statement:
You will be surprised by the project. It will only be visible for a short moment. The only trace it will leave behind will live on in our memory…
About the Project
La Caverne du Pont-Neuf
A few notes on
JR
JR (real name Jean René) is a French street artist and photographer best known for his monumental black-and-white photographic installations in public spaces. His work is not shown in traditional museums, but directly in the city — on building facades, bridges, and entire urban surfaces. He places these images in such a way that whole buildings suddenly become open-air galleries.
One example was in Rome in 2021, on the façade of the Palazzo Farnese. We happened to be there by chance — something we somehow didn’t even mention in our report at the time, which I now realise with some surprise!
Beyond the striking scale of his work, JR is primarily concerned with content: visibility, identity, and social issues. He often collaborates with local communities, giving visibility to people who might otherwise remain unseen.
With his current project at the Pont Neuf, he continues his approach of bringing art out of museums and directly into public space.
You can find more about JR and his projects on his official website.
A few notes on
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Christo and Jeanne-Claude were an artist duo best known for their spectacular large-scale wrapping projects in public spaces. Together, they wrapped buildings, bridges, coastlines and entire landscapes in fabric and ropes, transforming them into completely new visual and spatial experiences.
Their aim was not to hide things, but to change how we see what is already familiar. Through these temporary coverings, they created new perspectives on architecture, space and surroundings — often lasting only a few days before the works were dismantled and disappeared again.
Among their most famous projects are the wrapped Pont Neuf in Paris and the “Wrapped Reichstag” in Berlin. Their works were always monumental, temporary, and closely connected to the specific city and its people.
Bachgrund: The Department store Samaritaine is related to the Musée Cognacq-Jay.
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2026
Image of Pont-Neuf, 1985, by Michel Bourdais, from Wikipedia, open source
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