Street Artist JR Uses 2,000 Sheets of Paper to Turn The Louvre Pyramid Into an Incredible Optical Illusion

Three years after he made the Louvre disappear into the facade of the Paris Museum, the remarkable award-winning French street artist and photographer JR created an equally stunning optical illusion centered around the I.M Pei designed Louvre Pyramid itself, in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Over 400 volunteers help the artist paste over 2,000 sheets of specifically designed paper strips onto the Napoleon Court, making it appears as if the pyramid was submerged in a rock quarry.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Louvre Pyramid, JR is creating a collaborative piece of art on the scale of the Napoleon Court. Three years after having made the Pyramid disappear, the street artist is about to bring a new light to the famed monument by realizing a gigantic collage …The images, like life, are ephemeral. Once pasted, the art piece lives on its own. The sun dries the light glue and with every step, people tear pieces of the fragile paper. ….This project is also about presence and absence, about reality and memories, about impermanence.

Unfortunately, the installation only lasted for a single day. But it was certainly worth it.

While he was creating this brilliant installation, JR lost someone very dear to him. Our condolences.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

Recent Posts