{"id":8895,"date":"2026-06-05T10:25:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/?p=8895"},"modified":"2026-06-05T15:06:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:06:43","slug":"wind-damage-delays-opening-of-jrs-pont-neuf-inflatable-in-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/05\/wind-damage-delays-opening-of-jrs-pont-neuf-inflatable-in-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Wind damage delays opening of JR’s Pont Neuf inflatable in Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The opening of La Caverne du Pont Neuf<\/a>, an inflatable cave-like installation by French street artist JR in Paris<\/a>, has been delayed after strong winds ripped through its exterior.<\/span><\/p>\n

JR<\/a>‘s transformation of Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, was due to open to the public for three weeks on 3 June.<\/p>\n

However, its opening has been postponed indefinitely after its 18-metre-high summit ripped open, following heavy rain and winds in the French capital.<\/p>\n

“We’re not giving up”<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a series of videos circulating online<\/a>, the installation’s mountainous shell can be seen ripped open, fluttering in the wind.<\/p>\n

The new opening date has not been announced, with JR’s team currently focused on carrying out repairs to the outer fabric and its inflatable envelope as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Brut. (@brutofficiel)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

La Caverne du Pont Neuf’s opening has been delayed due to wind damage<\/em><\/p>\n

“None of us have slept much, but we’re not giving up,” a member of JR’s team told French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since then, his team has issued a statement confirming the cause of the damage.<\/p>\n

“The assessment determined the cause was an exceptional weather event,” it said in the statement released yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n

“Strong wind gusts struck while work was taking place on the outer layer of fabric, causing tears at the edges. Following this incident, a full inspection of the structure revealed that the tearing of the fabric caused localized damage in three locations on the inflatable envelope.”<\/p>\n

JR designed La Caverne du Pont Neuf as a homage to the work of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude \u2013 specifically an iconic installation in which the duo cloaked the same bridge in fabric 41 years ago.<\/p>\n

Installation aims to “renew the way we look at the world”<\/strong><\/p>\n

La Caverne du Pont Neuf’s inflatable fabric structure has a rock-like form, printed with a pattern in shades of white, black and grey. Its fabric is secured by straps.<\/p>\n

According to JR, the installation was designed to evoke quarries in the Paris Basin, from which Paris stone was extracted to create Pont Neuf and other buildings in the city.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by ChampsElysees_Paris (@champselysees_paris)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nIts new opening date is yet to be announced<\/em><\/p>\n

Last month, when the first images of the bridge were revealed<\/a>, JR said his “vision for this project is rooted in both the past and present of this iconic bridge”.<\/p>\n

“I admire the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and I share their idea that the mission of art is to make us think, to question what is familiar to us,” he explained. “The debate that a public art project can provoke is of equal value to its realization.”<\/p>\n

“Art is a transformation, and a way of renewing the way we look at the world around us. Through the dream of La Caverne du Pont Neuf, this is what I hope to make possible in Paris,” he added.<\/p>\n