‘French Banksy’ and Daft Punk star turn Paris bridge into Alpine cave

PARIS - Tourists and Parisians goggled at the sight of the French capital’s oldest bridge transformed into a giant “cave” on May 21, a spectacular new public work by the street artist JR.

JR, dubbed the “French Banksy” after the British street artist, has wrapped the Pont Neuf bridge in fabric painted white, grey and black to create the impression of a rocky grotto.

The creation, 120m long, 20m wide and varying in height from 12m to 18m, drew curious onlookers to the banks of the Seine on a sunny spring morning.

“It really stands out,” 37-year-old Parisian Stephanie Da Cruz told AFP news agency.

“You imagine mountains, the Alps or something like that, and contrasts so strongly with the architecture of Paris, that it’s just very surprising.”

JR, who began his career as a street Paris graffiti tagger and has become one of the best known figures on the French art scene, created the work as a tribute to the duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

They wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric in 1985, drawing millions of visitors, as well as the Arc de Triomphe in 2021.

“It’s incredible,” passer-by Caroline Masson said.

“People used to tell me about Christo’s project on Pont Neuf, so I never imagined I’d see as an adult the wrapping of the Pont Neuf by JR... it’s spectacular!”

Mixing the wild and the elegant

From June 6 to 28, visitors will be able to explore inside the new work, with electro artist Thomas Bangalter – one half of legendary French dance act Daft Punk – providing the soundtrack.

JR said he wanted to “juxtapose the rough and the wild with the refined elegance of Paris, creating a dialogue between the past and the present”.

“There is also a kind of unknown, of fear, of entering into a cave – and at the same time, a fascination,” he said.

Organisers are expecting to draw big crowds, particularly foreign tourists, with some of the city’s major attractions including the Notre Dame cathedral just a stone’s throw away.

Canadian tourist Peter Stuart said: “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? The way Paris plays with the city is extraordinary, in my opinion.”

The work, titled La Caverne, which translates to The Cave, is the latest in a series of large-scale public art pieces to grace Paris, and even appeared to be winning over sceptics.

“I’m not a fan of contemporary art. I love Paris as it is, beautiful,” tourist Vince, 75, from New York, said.

“But I must admit it’s fascinating. When I see it like that, I like it... it’s like a little bit of the Alps in Paris.” AFP