Last Friday, the visitors of Louvre were surprised by fascinating art created by French street artist JR. For the celebration of Louvre Pyramid’s 30th birthday, JR and his team of 400 volunteers created a collage of courtyard around the pyramid using 2,000 sheets of paper. The final result was the illusion of the pyramid extending below ground surrounded by rocks.
The installation is visible from the roof of the museum and from two large screens in the courtyard. It didn’t last long, though. Because it was made of paper, the whole construction tore apart on Saturday as the visitors walked over it.
The artist explained that the installation was meant to be temporary in a tweet, writing: “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. The process is all about participation of volunteers, visitors, and souvenir catchers.”
