JR will transform the Pont Neuf into a temporary cave in tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude in June 2026.

Calling all lovers of monumental art! In September 2025, Paris celebrates the 40th anniversary of the legendary wrapping of the Pont-Neuf - the capital's oldest bridge, despite its misleading name - by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. For the occasion, an open-air exhibition along the Quai de la Mégisserie highlights the duo's monumental works and their unique link with the City of Light, until October 30.

The town hall has also decided to rename the square around the statue of Henri IV Place du Pont-Neuf - Christo et Jeanne-Claude, an official nod to these masters of the ephemeral.

JR's Urban Grotto for summer 2026

40 years ago, Christo and Jeanne-Claude revolutionized ephemeral art by wrapping the Pont-Neuf in 41,800 m2 of fabric, held together by 13 km of rope and 12 tons of steel cables. Today, JR, the 41-year-old French street artist and photographer famous for his XXL collages around the world, takes over with his Pont-Neuf Project, transforming the bridge into a gigantic urban grotto.

Inspired by this monumental heritage, JR imagines colossal rock formations linking the two banks of the Seine. The installation, which can be traversed by day or night, evokes the quarries from which the stones that built Paris were extracted.

Coordinated with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation and financed by private funds, the project, initially planned for fall 2025, has now been postponed from June 6 to June 28, 2026, in order to refine every technical detail and obtain all the necessary authorizations.

• To be read
• This Week's Best Deals in Paris and Île-de-France, December 15–21, 2025
• Free museums and landmarks: Must-visit sites this Sunday, January 4th, in Paris and Île-de-France
• Free museums and monuments in Paris and the Ile-de-France region: cultural tips

A tribute to the masters of the ephemeral

More recently, the famous artistic duo's last monumental packaging in Paris was for the Arc de Triomphe in 2021. Postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this work was finally carried out posthumously, following Christo's death in May 2020.

With Projet Pont-Neuf, JR continues this artistic tradition by offering a contemporary interpretation of the bridge. In summer 2026, the urban grotto will transform the perception of passers-by, offering them a journey through history, architecture and art.