Unusual
article | Reading time4 min
In the beginning, it was a dream, the dream of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, born in the 60s. Now, in 2021, it's a reality! Take a look back at the history of this crazy project at the Arc de triomphe.
1961 - 2021
The genesis of a work
In 1961, three years after meeting in Paris, Christo and Jeanne-Claude began designing and creating temporary works for public spaces. That same year, they came up with the idea of packing the Arc de triomphe.
In 1962-63, Christo produced a photomontage of this packaging, as seen from the Avenue Foch, followed by a collage in 1988, before returning to and developing this project from 2017 onwards.
60 years later, in 2021, the project will become a reality!
But first, the exhibition! In 2020, the Centre Pompidou will be presenting the exhibition Christo et Jeanne-Claude. Paris, which retraces the Parisian period of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, from 1958 to 1964, as well as the history of the project Le Pont-Neuf empaqueté, Projet pour Paris, 1975-1985.
It was against this backdrop that Christo and the Centre Pompidou presented the project to wrap the Arc de triomphe to the Centre des monuments nationaux, with the support of the City of Paris.
Laurent Lecat / Centre des monuments nationaux
The work
The Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris (1961-2021) inbrief
Before his death on 31 May 2020, Christo had studied the project in great detail and left precise instructions. He wanted the project to go ahead, come what may, so the Christo and Jeanne-Claude team has made his and Jeanne-Claude's dream come true, in accordance with the artist's wishes.
From Saturday 18 September to Sunday 3 October 2021, the whole world could admire L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris (1961-2021)!
It took 25,000 square metres of recyclable silver-blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 metres of red polypropylene rope to make it. Find out more here!
Teams from the Centre des monuments nationaux and the Arc de triomphe ensured that the monument was properly conserved and opened to the public while the project was being studied and brought to fruition.
A self-financed project
Like all Christo and Jeanne-Claude's artistic projects, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris (1961-2021 ) was entirely self-financed through the sale of Christo's original works: collages, drawings for this project and others, as well as models, works from the 1950s and 1960s and lithographs. It received no other public or private funding.
Laurent Lecat / Centre des monuments nationaux
The subject file
