The awe-inspiring artwork of Christo and Jeanne-Claude

By MiNDFOOD

The awe-inspiring artwork of Christo and Jeanne-Claude
From wrapping the German Reichstag building in entirely in fabric, to building a sweeping orange pathway across a lake in Italy, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's artwork pushed the boundaries of creativity, construction and scale.

Christo, the Bulgarian artist known for his jaw-dropping public art installations, passed away at the age of 84 in May 2020.

The artist, who collaborated with his wife Jeanne-Claude, was famous for his highly ambitious artworks of monumental scales.

“Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories,” reads a statement from his office.

Born in Bulgaria in 1935, Christo left his home country in 1957, travelling to Prague, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Switzerland. He met his wife Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon in Paris in 1958, and went on to create numerous works with her. Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009 and Christo lived in New York up until his death.

“From early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork transcended the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture and architecture,” the statement continues.

“In a 1958 letter Christo wrote, ‘Beauty, science and art will always triumph.’ We hold those words closely today.”

Per Christo’s wishes, his next project, ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’ in Paris will progress and is on track to be revealed on September 18, 2021.

From wrapping the German Reichstag building in entirely in fabric, to building a sweeping orange pathway across a lake in Italy, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork pushed the boundaries of creativity, construction and scale.

See below for some of their most iconic works.

Wrapped Reichstag, Germany

In 1995, Christo and Jeanne-Claude pulled off an incredible artistic feat, wrapping the entire German Reichstag building in polypropylene fabric.

 

The Floating Piers, Italy

In 2016, Christo created an orange floating pier on Lake Iseo in Italy. The massive installation consisted of 70,000 square metres of fabric and 226,000 high-density polyethene cubes, forming a walkable surface between Sulzano, Monte Isola and the island of San Paolo.

 

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Paris’ Arc de Triomphe was transformed in September 2021 into a spectacular wrapped monument, the fulfilment of a lifelong dream that was planned almost 60 years ago.

Christo sadly died before he could finish the Arc de Triomphe project, which has now been finished and unveiled in Paris on 18 September 2021. The iconic monument is wrapped in shimmering fabric and tied together with red rope. The colours are a subtle nod to the French flag.

The Gates, New York City

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s project, ‘The Gates’, saw New York’s Central Park transformed with orange panels of nylon fabric, covering 37 km of pathways in the park. The exhibit ran for two weeks in 2005.

 

The London Mastaba, UK

Situated on the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park, Christ’s piece ‘The London Mastaba’ was a floating sculpture and the artist’s first major public work in the UK. 7,506 stacked barrels made up the sculpture, with the sides and top painted red, white, blue, red and mauve.

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