JR Transforms Paris's Pont Neuf into Massive Inflatable Grotto
French artist JR has introduced a massive inflatable grotto called La Caverne du Pont Neuf (2026) on Paris's historic Pont Neuf, the oldest stone bridge in the city. This installation, which is 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and rises up to 18 meters tall, will be open to the public from June 6 to June 28, 2026. It features sound design by Thomas Bangalter, one half of Daft Punk, and includes augmented reality elements that can be accessed using Snap Spectacles. This piece wraps up a five-year project of large trompe l'oeil works, honoring Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Pont Neuf Wrapped. Over 800 people were involved in creating it, with support from various organizations, while JR has yet to announce what will happen to the installation after the exhibit.
Key facts
- La Caverne du Pont Neuf is an inflatable grotto on Paris's Pont Neuf bridge.
- The installation measures 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and up to 18 meters tall.
- It opens June 6, 2026, and runs through June 28, 2026.
- Sound design by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.
- Augmented reality component via Snap Spectacles loans.
- Concludes a five-year series of trompe l'oeil works by JR.
- Pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Pont Neuf Wrapped.
- Fabricated from 18,900 sq m of fabric and 20,000 cubic meters of pressurized air.
- Supported by L'Amicale des Ponts de Paris, Snap Inc., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Paris Aéroport, and Salesforce.
- More than 800 people helped with the installation.
Entities
Artists
- JR
- Christo
- Jeanne-Claude
- Thomas Bangalter
- Charles Pépin
- Vladimir Yavachev
- Étienne-Jules Marey
- Claudia Giraud
- Wolfgang Volz
Institutions
- Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation
- L'Amicale des Ponts de Paris
- Snap Inc.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies
- Paris Aéroport
- Salesforce
- Air Toiles Concept
- Perrotin
- France TV
- Artnet News
- Snap AR Studio Paris
- Galerie Perrotin
- Connaissance des Arts
- Atelier JR
- Ville de Paris
- Daft Punk
- Artribune
- Palais Garnier
- Opéra de Paris
- Snap's AR Studio Paris
- designboom
- Snap
- City of Paris
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Pont Neuf
- Seine
- Florence
- Rome
- Milan
- Lviv
- Los Angeles
- Kassel
- Orly airport
- Charles de Gaulle airport
- Central Park
- New York
- Berlin
- Opéra Garnier
- Trocadéro
- Pyramide du Louvre
- Marais
- 76 rue de Turenne
- Pont-Neuf
- Île de la Cité
- Bassin parisien
- tour Eiffel
- Palais Garnier
- Plougoumelen
- Brittany
- Orly
- Morbihan