‘It’s supposed to make you uncomfortable’: French artist JR on transforming Paris’ oldest bridge into a cave

‘France’s Banksy’ has created a monumental art installation over the Seine. And visitors to La Caverne du Pont Neuf are in for an uncomfortable and unforgettable crossing With the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower to one side and Notre Dame to the other, Pont Neuf is not only Paris’s most picturesque bridge but, contrary to what its name suggests, it’s also the city’s oldest. Yet as of today, Pont Neuf is no longer just a bridge but also an overground cave. Vast swathes of fabric, woven to look like the stone on which Paris is built, have been inflated over the bridge, creating an art installation called La Caverne. It is a bonkers idea, and a direct tribute to Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude wrapping the Pont Neuf more than 40 years ago. The monumental installation is the work of the French artist and photographer known as JR, often called the French Banksy, whose previous installations include making the Louvre pyramid disappear, placing large portraits of Israelis and Palestinians working in the same jobs facing each other along the separation wall and Kikito, a giant picture of a toddler peering over the US-Mexico border fence. La Caverne finally opened on Monday, 10