JR's Pont Neuf Wrapping Damaged by Storm, Opening Postponed

French artist JR's monumental public art installation on the Pont Neuf in Paris, titled La Caverne du Pont Neuf, was damaged during a storm on 2 June, forcing the postponement of its opening. The temporary inflatable piece, a trompe l'oeil canvas wrapping the bridge, was torn. JR's studio issued a statement confirming the damage and stating that technical experts are investigating the incident. A new opening date will be announced after the assessment. The work pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the same bridge. The project is privately funded through sales of JR's works and support from Snap Inc., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Paris Aéroport, and Salesforce. JR is known for large-scale public works including the Déplacé·e·s series (2022-2023) featuring refugee children, and Migrants: Mayra, Picnic across the Border (2022) at the US-Mexico border.