Now you see it... French artist JR makes the Louvre's famous pyramid disappear in amazing new stunt
DAILY MAIL
- French artist covered the glass façade of the pyramid outside the Louvre with a printed black-and-white image
- From certain angles, the structure appears to have blended into the stone building behind it
- JR will also be hosting a number of events, which will run non-stop for 24 hours, at the museum this weekend
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, one of the most famous landmarks in the world has disappeared.
But fortunately, it's only gone missing temporarily.
The Louvre's iconic pyramid is hiding in plain sight thanks to the wizardry of French artist JR, who has covered its glass facade with a black-and-white printed image of the stone building behind it, creating an optical illusion.
French artist covered the glass façade of the pyramid outside the Louvre with a printed image depicting the building behind it
JR (pictured) said it was a way for him to distance himself from the art as visitors have to interact with it by walking around the structure to make it 'disappear'
The French artist will also be spending 24 hours at the museum's auditorium from 3pm on May 28 to host workshops and talks
The stunt is part of the artist's take-over of the museum, which begins on May 28 and lasts 24 hours.
His day-long program will feature a mix discussions, films, music, dance and guided tours, some of which are free of charge.
There will also be breakfast by chef Jean Imbert and talks in collaboration with model Cara Delevingne.
Some of the events are hosted by the artist himself while others, like the concert A Night under the pyramid, will see musicians Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnalds performing until dawn.
In an interview with the Louvre, JR said his concept 'is a way for me to distance myself from my subject'.
Even partially completed, there are plenty of people visiting the site and taking pictures. The Louvre pyramid is one of the most photographed monuments in France
The printed sheets are pasted strip by strip onto the glass surface by technicians who dangle precariously from a crane (pictured)
Against the stormy skies in Paris, the printed image stands out but on a brighter day, the building blends into the background
People visiting the museum have to move around in order to get the perfect angle to get the pyramid to 'disappear'.
This, the artist says, is a way of 're-directing its energy'.
Although the program involving the artist himself is only on for 24 hours, visitors will be able to see the 'invisible' pyramid between now and June 27 this year.
JR, now 33, started out as a graffiti artist in his teens.
The artist states on his website that he 'owns the biggest art gallery in the world' because he 'exhibits freely in the streets of the world'.
Part of his objective is to create art in places that could be seen by those who do not visit museums.
His work has appeared on buildings and objects all over the world, including London, Shanghai, Berlin and New York.
JR started as a graffiti artist but has created numerous projects around the world. Above, a photograph of his 'Women are Heroes' project
The artist states on his website that he 'owns the biggest art gallery in the world' because he 'exhibits freely in the streets of the world'
Above, the controversial project Face 2 Face. This photograph was taken at the separation wall between Palestine and Israel in Bethlehem
One of his projects, 'Wrinkles of the City', was created in destinations all over the world. Above, a version that was created in Istanbul
Some, like 'Portrait of a generation', started out as illegal projects before being accepted by officials while others remain controversial.
For example, in 2007, JR created 'Face 2 Face' with his friend Marco.
It was an exhibit that saw him pasting huge portraits of Israelis and Palestinians face to face in eight cities in Palestine and Israel.
His creations have also been the subjects of books and films.
But despite his worldwide fame, JR remains anonymous and only uses his initials to brand his work.
He says: 'I come from the world of graffiti, so I wasn’t going to sign my real name on my “street exhibitions” that were illegal.
'Still today, the majority of projects I do are illegitimate, without authorization: putting up images in France seems normal, but I’ve been arrested or kicked out of other countries.'
Although many of his projects were illegal, some were commissioned pieces. Left, a piece entitled Elmar that was created for the New York Times while on the right is a piece called Les Bosquets that was pasted illegally on a soon-to-be demolished building in Paris
A man on a house in Rosenthaler Street in Berlin photographed in 2013. It was part of 'Portraits of Ordinary People in Unusual Locations'
Above, an enormous mural that was created on the side of a loft building in the TriBeCa neighbourhood of New York featuring a ballerina
A group of youths pulling funny faces are part of this photography exhibition at an abandoned railway building in Arles, France
The containers on a ship (pictured) form the background of this piece of work, which was also part of the Women are Heroes project
There were thousands of portraits in JR's creation for the Pantheon in Paris (left in the main hall and right close up) when it reopened after refurbishment in 2014
JR standing in the middle of his artwork in the Pantheon in 2014. The installation was only up for four months from June to October
Ladj Ly, the young French-Malian man pictured in this photograph holding a camera, was part of the Portrait of a Generation project
Above, a huge version of the infamous Ladj Ly photograph pasted onto the side of the Tate Modern in London to showcase street art
Times Square was covered with portraits with men and women of all ages in 2013 as part of the 'Inside Out New York City' project
A piece on the Geffen Contemporary building in Los Angeles (pictured). The work was part of a project called 'The Wrinkles of The City'
Left, one of the earlier works from the artist, where he photographed his own graffiti. Right, a portrait on the side of High Line in New York
Above, JR's mobile studio parked outside Somerset House in London. It allowed members of the public to take photographs for the Inside Out project
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