Known for having wrapped places and monuments such as the Pont-Neuf in Paris, the Reichstag in Berlin and Biscayne Bay near Miami, the artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude have created an artwork for the City of Light, on view from 18 September to 3 October 2021.
The famous duo had dreamed of wrapping the Arc de Triomphe in fabric for more than half a century. The first photo montage of the project dates back to 1962 but it is now, in September 2021, that the installation is finally ready, completed posthumously and exactly as Christo, who died in 2020, would have wanted it.
This amazing work of site-specific art called for the use of 25,000 m² of recyclable silvery-blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 metres of recyclable red rope. A ‘living object’, as Christo himself described it, the installation is designed to move in the wind and to reflect light.
The iconic Paris monument looks dramatically different but remains open to the public. The fabric covers the entire building, all the way up to the panoramic terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, which can be visited.
Cultural mediators will be on hand in the vicinity of the artwork to explain it to visitors, answer questions, and give a piece of fabric to anyone who wants one. Visitors will continue to have access to the Arc de Triomphe for the duration of the installation, including when it is being assembled (from 15 July to 17 September), and dismounted (from 4 October to 10 November 2021). The Eternal Flame in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will continue to burn.
For 16 days, millions of people all around the world will be gazing at the Arc de Triomphe. This is a one-of-a-kind international event, with timeless appeal.
