The Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped

The project in a few words

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude team has created the Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, as Christo wished this project to be continued after his death.

On view for 16 days from Saturday, September 18th to Sunday, October 3rd, 2021 Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021 will use 25,000 square meters of recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue, and 3,000 meters of red rope of the same fabric. 

The Centre des monuments nationaux, the government institution that manages the Arc de Triomphe, is pleased about the realization of a project that demonstrates its commitment to contemporary creation and that honors one of the most emblematic monuments in Paris and in France. The monument and its terrace will remain open to the public throughout the project.  

 

A self-financed project

The Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped will be self-financed by Christo through the sale of his preparatory studies, drawings, collages of the project as well as scale models, works from the 60s to 80s and original lithographs dedicated to other subjects. He will not benefit from any public or private funding.

   

Story of the project

In 1961, three years after they met in Paris, Christo and Jeanne-Claude began imagining and creating temporary works of art in public spaces. In 1962-63, Christo made a photomontage of the Arc de Triomphe wrapped, seen from the Avenue Foch, then, in 1988, a collage, before working again and developing the project from 2017. Almost 60 years later, the project will be concretized.  

The project was submitted to the Centre des monuments nationaux by the Centre Pompidou and is supported by the Paris city council. In 2020, the Centre Pompidou presented the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Paris!, which retraced Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s years in Paris from 1958 to 1964, as well as the story of The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Project for Paris, 1975-85. 

    

Collage 2018 in two parts 12 x 30 1/2" et 26 1/4 x 30 1/2" (30.5 x 77.5 cm et 66.7 x 77.5 cm) Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, fabric, twine, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, hand-drawn map and tape Photo: André Grossmann © 2018 Christo

Practical information

The monument will remain open for visitors during the project. 

Dates : September 18th - October 3rd 2021
Schedule : 10 am - 11 pm

On the social media

 

How it How it’s
started going pic.twitter.com/POhyRXfA7b

— le CMN (@leCMN) September 18, 2021

Rekindling the Flame on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Eternal Flame, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe, will continue to burn throughout the preparation and display of the artwork. As always, veterans associations and volunteers committed to the values of the French Republic will ensure the continuity of remembrance. The daily ceremony of rekindling the Flame and the homages to the Unknown Soldier will continue with solemnity.

The project in video

Project’s agenda 

July 15 - September 17  : assembly operations
September 18 - October 3 : presentation of the artwork
October 4 - November 10 : disassembly operations