JR Transforms Pont-Neuf into Cave-Like Installation, Perrotin Shows Preparatory Works
JR's fifth exhibition at Perrotin, 'Les esquisses de la Caverne', runs from June 5 to July 25, 2026, alongside his monumental public artwork 'La Caverne du Pont Neuf' (June 6–28, 2026). The project temporarily wraps Paris's oldest bridge, the Pont-Neuf, in a printed fabric cave measuring 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 18 meters high, accessible day and night. Forty-one years after Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 'The Pont-Neuf Wrapped' (1985), JR's installation features a soundscape by Thomas Bangalter (formerly of Daft Punk) and an interactive program. Inspired by Plato's cave allegory, the work explores perception and illusion. The gallery exhibition displays preparatory sketches, photographs, and collages on zinc sheets salvaged from Parisian rooftops, using techniques reminiscent of Robert Rauschenberg's Combines. The text is by Paul Ardenne.
Key facts
- JR's fifth exhibition at Perrotin, 'Les esquisses de la Caverne', runs June 5–July 25, 2026.
- The public artwork 'La Caverne du Pont Neuf' transforms the Pont-Neuf from June 6–28, 2026.
- The installation is 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 18 meters high.
- It is accessible day and night for nearly a month.
- The project references Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the Pont-Neuf.
- Thomas Bangalter, formerly of Daft Punk, created the soundscape.
- The gallery works include preparatory sketches, photographs, and collages on zinc sheets.
- The text is by art historian Paul Ardenne.
Entities
Artists
- JR
- Christo
- Jeanne-Claude
- Thomas Bangalter
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Paul Ardenne
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Vladimir Yavachev
Institutions
- Perrotin
- Daft Punk
Locations
- Paris
- Pont-Neuf
- France
- 76 rue de Turenne
- 75003 Paris
- Pont Neuf