Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 15
JR Drapes Paris's 400-Year-Old Pont Neuf as Mountain Cave in Heat Wave
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 15

JR Drapes Paris's 400-Year-Old Pont Neuf as Mountain Cave in Heat Wave

3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jul 15

Summary

  • Paris's Pont Neuf was wrapped in fabric last month for JR's latest installation, turning the city's oldest bridge into what appears to be a mountain cave.
  • JR's transformation plays on the visual language of shelter and rock formations, but the work offered no escape from the brutal heat wave hitting Paris.
  • The project recasts a landmark more than 400 years old, using temporary materials to alter how visitors experience one of the French capital's best-known bridges.

Insights

Did the monumental art piece offer a climate message or just a beautiful distraction during Paris's deadly June heatwave?
What became of the 200,000 square feet of fabric used for JR's temporary Pont Neuf installation after its removal?