ARC DE TRIOMPHE WRAPPED
One of Paris’s famous landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe is covered in a silvery-blue fabric. No, the monument isn’t undergoing construction work, it’s an artwork that’s been planned for decades.
Christo, a Bulgarian artist was known for draping natural and manmade structures and monuments in fabric.
Aljazeera reports that “Wrapped” was originally conceived by Christo and his wife and artistic partner Jeanne-Claude before her death in 2009. They began planning to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in fabric back in the 1960s, when they lived close to the Champs-Elysees.
The artwork enlisted the services of dozens of climbers, 25 000 square metres of recyclable fabric and 3 kilometres of red rope. All of it is funded by Christo’s nephew Vladimir Yavatchev. It’s estimated that the entire project is costing him about $16.5 million.
“The biggest challenge for me is that Christo is not here. I miss his enthusiasm, his criticisms, his energy and all of these things. That, for me, really is the biggest challenge.”
“Wrapped” forms part of an exhibition that will be on display from 18 September to 3 October.
Unfortunately, Christo passed away in May last year and never got to see his last creation come to life.
Watch the Aljazeera video below to see how the monument was wrapped.
Image credit: New Atlas