Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped has been in the make for 60 years. Christo (ChristoVladimirov Javacheff), was born in 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria and died inMay 2020 in New York City, and Jeanne-Claude (Jeanne-Claude Marie Denat de Guillebon)was born in 1935 in Casablanca, Morocco and died in November 2009 in New YorkCity. The artists are internationally known for their monumental temporary artworks.

 
In 1961, three years after they met in Paris, Christo and Jeanne-Claude began creating temporary works of art in public spaces. Christo then imagined wrapping the Arc de Triomphe. In 1962-1963, he created a photomontage with L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped,seen from Foch Avenue, and again featured the Arc de Triomphe wrapped in a collagein 1988. He began actively developing this project in 2017, and now 60 years later, it is finally realised.

The Arc de Triomphe monument is wrapped in 25,000 square meters ofrecyclable silvery blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 meters of recyclable redpolypropylene rope. The project is entirely funded through the sale of originalartworks by Christo, including preparatory studies and collages, models, worksfrom the 1950s and 1960s and lithographs. Like all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects, it will receive no public funds or sponsorships.

L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped is on view from Saturday, September 18 to Sunday, October 3, 2021. In accordance with Christo’s wishes, the project was completed by his team in partnershipwith the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN) and with the support of theCentre Pompidou and Ville de Paris.

“It will be like a living object which will move in the wind and reflect the light. With itsmoving folds, the monument’s surface will become sensual. People will want to touchthe Arc de Triomphe,” Christo

“It will be like a living object which will move in the wind and reflect the light. With itsmoving folds, the monument’s surface will become sensual. People will want to touchthe Arc de Triomphe,” Christo said.

The project was submitted to the Centre des monuments nationaux by the CentrePompidou, which organized the exhibition “Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Paris!” in 2020,and is supported by the City of Paris.

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Credits:

All images courtesy of:

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
www.christojeanneclaude.net

Centre des monuments nationaux
www.monuments-nationaux.fr