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| Pont Neuf Image: Google |
Reflections on the French Artist Couple from Life Shines with Art (and my thoughts on futility and human suffering).
I faintly remember the futile works of a French artist couple described in the book Life Shines with Art. They were performance artists known for wrapping large objects—rocks, bridges, buildings—with massive sheets of fabric or plastic. Their concept was simple, but their execution was immense and exhausting.
One of their most famous projects was covering the Pont Neuf, the historic bridge in Paris. But this was no easy feat. First, they had to create a gigantic wrapper, piece by piece, day by day. Then came the long, complicated process of getting their plan approved by the Paris city hall—something that must have required great patience, persistence, and perhaps even frustration.
After receiving permission, they had to hire a team, use ladders and various equipment, and physically wrap the entire bridge—all within the tight time window the city allowed. And then, just a few days later, they had to remove it all again. All that effort—just for a fleeting moment of wrapped beauty.
They didn’t seem to make money from these works. And to me, it felt vain—futile. But still, they repeated this kind of work again and again, choosing newer, bigger, more ambitious objects to cover. Why?
When I read this chapter, it immediately reminded me of the myth of Sisyphus. That is life. We humans will come to realize, sooner or later, that life is futile at its core. Hopeless. Full of endless suffering. And yet, we repeat the same painful acts over and over, like Sisyphus pushing his rock up the hill—only to watch it roll down again.
Like him, we must embrace this absurdity. Not escape it by choosing death, but endure it. Even if our efforts amount to nothing in the end, our endurance is proof that we are still alive—still defying the cruel rhythms of existence.
In this endless cycle, we often seek novelty—new experiences, new pleasures—as a way to dull the pain. Our brains crave dopamine. Just like addicts, we seek stronger, more stimulating experiences. But if we try to stop, the anxiety becomes unbearable. Starting an addiction may be easy, but stopping it is almost impossible.
And in a way, aren't we all addicts? Addicted to living, to hoping, to distracting ourselves? Each day repeats the same patterns, and yet we continue. That is the tragedy of human life. Everyone suffers. There is no escape.
Still, we must carry on. Even in the face of futility, frustration, and despair, we must do our work—our own “rock-pushing”—again today. Not because it will change the world, but because it shows that we are alive.
Endurance is cruel, yes. But in the end, maybe only time—and eventually oblivion—can soothe our wounds. There is no true escape… until we die. And death, perhaps, is the final and lasting forgetfulness.
Until then… we endure.
Written by Artist Seo.
April, 2025.
