For the Italian media Fanpage, there is no doubt about it. The Cavern of Pont-Neuf East “one of the most ambitious projects ever carried out by the artist JR†, and its inauguration was an event “impatiently awaited by the Parisian public and by all contemporary art enthusiasts†. The use of the past tense by the transalpine information site is necessary, since, due to the bad weather which has hit the capital, the ephemeral installation will not be able to be open to visitors on the date which had been planned for months, namely June 6. The work in question, a photographic canvas stretched over an inflatable envelope which extends all around the Pont-Neuf to create a sort of cave, was partially torn. We do not know at the moment how long it will take to repair it.
However, the installation which pays tribute to the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who wrapped the Pont-Neuf in fabric in 1985, has already been visible from the outside for around two weeks. This is why, although they cannot go inside, Parisians have already been able to observe the structure – which is 120 meters long and between 12 and 18 meters high – and form an opinion. True to their reputation, “many of them were not impressed†, underlines The Times.
Mixed reception
From the banks of the Seine, the Cave has the appearance of a snow-capped mountain range, but it is clear that it does not move all Parisians. Like Yves, a waiter from the right bank who, interviewed by the correspondent of the British daily, evokes a “monstrosity†, before sharing his fear that the structure could fall on visitors in the event of further strong winds.
Of course, not all passers-by share this concern and this lack of excitement. Abdou Ba, Senegalese artist, is enthusiastic. He goes so far as to evoke a work which “unites us all, black or white, because we are all descended from cavemen†.
“Some passers-by thought the work of art that enveloped Paris’ oldest bridge was a magnificent creation, capable of uniting humanity around its common roots. Others said they didn’t see the point. A few found it ugly… summarizes the conservative newspaper.
Impressions that could well change the moment when, finally, the Parisians enter the cave. They will then live “a unique sensory experience†while walking in total darkness. Provided that the wind and rain permit.
