Three years after meeting Jeanne-Claude in Paris, Christo made a study of a mammoth project that would wrap one of the city’s most emblematic monuments. 60 years, 25,000 square meters of recyclable fabric, and 3,000 meters of rope later, the artists’ vision will finally come true. Discover their posthumous installation with this book gathering photography, drawings, and a history of the project’s making. Like most of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped will be temporary and run for 16 days from Saturday, September 18 to Sunday, October 3, 2021. Carried out in close collaboration with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, the historic structure will be wrapped in recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue and recyclable red rope. The project is the posthumous realisation of a long-held dream for Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who first drew up plans to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in 1961 while renting a small room near the monument. Published as a tribute to the late artists and their lifelong partnership, the book includes original sketches, technical data, and exclusive photography, creating a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the genesis of this prodigious artwork.
The artist
Christo and Jeanne-Claude began their collaboration in 1961, and lived in New York City since 1964. Jeanne-Claude died in 2009; Christo died in 2020. Their large-scale projects include Wrapped Coast, Australia, 1968–69; Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970–72; Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76; Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Florida, 1980–83; The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975–85; The Umbrellas, Japan–USA, 1984–91; Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95; Wrapped Trees, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997–98; The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005; The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014–16 and The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, 2016–18. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's temporary work of art L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Project for Paris is scheduled for September 18–October 3, 2021.
The photographer
Wolfgang Volz has worked with Christo and Jeanne-Claude as the exclusive photographer of their works since 1971. He was also project director (with Roland Specker) for Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95 and (with Josy Kraft) for Wrapped Trees, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997–98, and was in charge of The Wall – 13,000 Oil Barrels, Gasometer Oberhausen, Germany, 1998–99 and Big Air Package, Gasometer Oberhausen, Germany, 2010–13. His close collaboration has resulted in many books and more than 300 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world.
The authors
Lorenza Giovanelli, art historian, was the office manager of Christo’s last major project The Floating Piers in 2016. From 2017 to 2020 she worked for Christo in New York, collaborating on several exhibitions and publications about Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art. She is the first executive director of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation. Jonathan William Henery is the son of Jeanne-Claude’s sister, Joyce May Henery. In 1993, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University. He is a musician and was Jeanne-Claude’s full-time assistant from 1996 to 2009, and continues to manage Christo’s office today. Jonathan has collaborated on numerous publications about their work.
Tip from the GO SIXT editorial team:
Browsing in bookstores is an incomparable pleasure. Here, at the TASCHEN Paris store (2 rue de Buci), they are happy to help you find specific books, such as the latest edition of Christo.
For a café in between, we always recommend LesDeuxMagots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés). A meeting place for many artists, the café in the St Germain-des-Prés district became famous in the early years of the nineteenth century.
And if you are looking for a hotel, we can recommend the HotelSofitelParis LeFaubourg.
Mobile in Paris
Look forward to a very extensive fleet of vehicles at the SIXT car rental Paris (Gare del’Est) at Paris East Station. The location is an ideal starting point for trips through the French capital in a manoeuvrable small car.
