This Artist Created An Incredible Optical Illusion At The Louvre Just So It Could Be Destroyed In A Few Days

Published 5 years ago

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Even if you have never been to Paris, you probably know that it’s a city rich in both culture and stunning architecture. There are so many things to see – from the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower to the busy narrow streets and beautiful open boulevards – all of this will make you feel like you’re a part of a romantic movie. And if you ever get to visit Paris, don’t forget to visit the Louvre – not only is it the largest art museum in the world, the building itself is a sight worth seeing as well.

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Recently, French artist Jean Rene turned the Louvre pyramid into an amazing optical illusion using 2,000 paper stickers

Image credits: jr

The art installation was created to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the pyramid’s construction. Jean Rene, or JR for short, created the amazing optical illusion along with the help of 400 people.

Image credits: jr

The optical illusion was finished on the 30th of March and JR posted a picture on his Instagram page inviting people to come see it live.

Image credits: jr

Many people came to see it – so much, in fact, that the giant 17,000 square meter (183,000 sq ft) work of art was torn to pieces in just a few hours.

Image credits: jr

“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,” writes JR under a picture of the partially destroyed piece.

Image credits: jr

“This project is also about presence and absence, about reality and memories, about impermanence,” writes JR. Judging from what the artist says, the destruction of the piece was a planned part of the performance.

Image credits: jr

Even though this optical illusion was created in celebration of the pyramid’s 30th anniversary, Jean wanted to dedicate it to one special person Agnès Varda. “I am sure you can see it. I did something that can be seen from the sky,” writes the artist.

Image credits: jr

Agnès Varda was a prominent French film director and photographer who worked closely with Jean Rene on their 2017 documentary ‘Faces Places’. Sadly, Varda passed away on the 29th of March, just one day before JR finished his art piece.

Image credits: jr

People had their own opinions about the art piece

Aušrys Uptas

One day, this guy just kind of figured - "I spend most of my time on the internet anyway, why not turn it into a profession?" - and he did! Now he not only gets to browse the latest cat videos and fresh memes every day but also shares them with people all over the world, making sure they stay up to date with everything that's trending on the web. Some things that always pique his interest are old technologies, literature and all sorts of odd vintage goodness. So if you find something that's too bizarre not to share, make sure to hit him up!