French street artist JR's massive installation 'La Caverne du Pont-Neuf' opened on Monday on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris, after a weather delay. Strong winds had damaged the artwork two weeks prior. The exhibition runs until June 28.

The 232-meter-long bridge is covered in black-and-white images of rugged rock, created from 80 canvas arches filled with air. JR pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's iconic 'Pont Neuf Wrapped,' which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.

JR drew inspiration from the quarries in the Paris basin that supplied the Lutetian limestone for the bridge. Pont Neuf, completed in 1607, was Paris's first stone bridge. The artist aims to contrast the raw material's roughness with the refined elegance of the 'City of Light.'

In 1985, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the same bridge using 41,800 square meters of golden-sandstone polyamide fabric and 13 kilometers of rope. The project took nine years of political negotiation and technical planning. Press reaction was mixed, with some critics calling it wasteful, but millions visited.

JR's installation is free and open 24 hours a day, featuring sound design by former Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter. 'It's a symbolic crossing, a step into the unknown, a journey within oneself,' JR said. The work is his largest to date.

Source: www.dw.com