Notorious street artist JR has once again captured the attention of the world with his special brand of paste-up art. In his most recent installation, the Parisian artist used the age old illusory technique of trompe-l’œil to make the iconic glass pyramid at the entrance of the Louvre museum seemingly vanish.
Using photographic prints of the museum behind, adhered to the front facade of architect Im Pei’s famous structure, JR has created an image that when viewed from the right angle, makes it completely disappear.
The artist is known for his large scale public paste-ups of black and white portrait photographs which have graced public spaces across the world. This project however is rather different. He explained to Wall Street Journal:
“I always seek to attract people’s attention toward something, generally other people. Here, it is the absence of something that will make people bond. When arriving to the Louvre, people will all notice the absence and that will make them talk to each other and seek the right angle… I am curious to see how people will react now.”
The art of trompe-l’œil dates back to the discovery of perspective during the Renaissance, centuries ago. Artists of this time used the technique to create the illusion of 3 dimensional spaces in their paintings. It was then also used in architecture to make rooms and hallways appear more grandiose.
The meaning behind JR’s epic installation is left to interpretation. In a recent interview, he said: “I never put any messages behind my art. I think that artists should raise questions, not give answers,” further explaining that the meaning of his work is defined by how his audience interacts with it.
The Pyramid installation will remain for one month, and is part of a larger exhibition where JR will take over the entire museum for 24 hours. From May 28-29, the Louvre will host a series of films, workshops, a music performance by Nihls Frahm and a dance performance by the New York City Ballet. The full schedule of events can be found on the Louvre’s website.