This iconic Paris landmark is now a ‘surreal’ homage to the material that built the city

The oldest bridge in Paris has a new look. Veiling the 419-year-old structure with an inflatable envelope wrapped in canvas, the French street artist JR—often called the French Banksy—transformed the Pont Neuf in Paris, paying homage to the famed duo of artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The work, titled La Caverne du Pont Neuf, is on view for free through June 28. Its origin story is much longer. The inspiration dates back to when the artist was just 2 years old, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who are known for their large-scale environmental installations, had wrapped the oldest bridge in Paris for a work titled The Pont Neuf Wrapped. Christo and Jeanne-Claude at The Pont Neuf Wrapped. Paris, 1985. [Photo: Wolfgang Volz/© 1985 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation] “Later I discovered their work, these monumental projects in public space, and they showed me a path was possible,” JR tells Fast Company. “Where they underlined the real, revealing the lines and the forms of the bridge, I wanted to do the opposite: to make it disappear, and to bring the surreal into the heart of Paris.” [Photo: Gauthier Bedrignans/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images] The installation turns the 17th-century bridge into an artificial cave for passersby to enter, while also transforming the structure into a trompe l’oeil, or a hyperrealistic optical illusion. The almost 18,900 square meters (203,438 square feet) of printed polyester canvas that drapes the bridge is covered with an image of Lutetian limestone, or Paris Stone, which was used to build the bridge and the city. [Photo: Laurent Caron/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images] The realization of La Caverne started when Vladimir Yavachev, Christo’s nephew, invited JR to create something for the 40th anniversary of the original work, which he readily accepted. JR’s project ultimately required around 850 workers and partners to complete. The materials come from nearby, with the fabric produced in Europe, printed in Fr