AP, PARIS
The oldest bridge in Paris has vanished, after the artist JR —known by some as the “French Banksy” — inflated a giant “cave” over the Pont Neuf.The monumental, rocky illusion swallowed the 17th-century landmark, which has carried Parisians across the Seine for more than 400 years.Yesterday, it looked as if a prehistoric cliff had risen in the heart of the city.
The artwork La Caverne du Pont Neuf by French street artist JR covers the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris yesterday.
The inflation process, which was carried out overnight — after being delayed by bad weather — was the most dramatic stage yet of a project more than a year in the making.One of the most ambitious public artworks Paris has seen in decades, which has been funded by the sale of JR’s work and a handful of corporate partners, does not open to the public until June 6.
“We’re about to leave something pretty incredible in the middle of Paris,” JR said earlier this year at his studio in the city’s east, wearing his trademark hat and shades.
