The artist began work on the piece on May 21.

This week, the Pont Neuf&mdash;Paris' oldest bridge&mdash;underwent a massive transformation, rendering it nearly unrecognizable.&nbsp;
Now, the 400-year-old bridge appears as a jagged rock formation, evocative of the quarries that produced the stones to build the city. Once it fully rises, the project will tower over nearby buildings at almost 18 meters high.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My vision for this project is rooted in both the past and present of this iconic bridge,&rdquo; JR said in a statement. &ldquo;I admire the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and I share their idea that the mission of art is to make us think, to question what is familiar to us. The debate that a public art project can provoke is of equal value to its realization. Art is a transformation, and a way of renewing the way we look at the world around us. Through the dream of La Caverne du Pont Neuf, this is what I hope to make possible in Paris&rdquo;.
While the installation is still in progress, it will be fully open to the public beginning on June 6. From then on, visitors are invited to walk through, bike past, or pass under the project via Seine riverboat.&nbsp;
The artist has noted that despite the scale of the project, none of it is funded by the government. Instead, monetary support comes from the sale of JR's artwork, as well as contributions by corporate partners including Snap Inc., Bloomberg Philanthropies, Paris A&eacute;roport, and Salesforce.&nbsp;

JR "La Caverne du Pont Neuf," Paris, 2026. Photography by Eléa Jeanne Schmitter © 2026 Atelier JR

French Artist JR Unveils A Massive Installation Over One of Paris' Most Iconic Landmarks

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French Artist JR Unveils A Massive Installation Over One of Paris' Most Iconic Landmarks

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