The Arc De Triomphe Is Being Wrapped In Fabric For A New Exhibition
The Paris landmark that is the Arc De Triomphe is being completely wrapped in silver-blue material as a part of a new art exhibition with the arch at its center. The installation is the brainchild of partners and artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The installation, according to the artists’ website, was originally intended to be opened in 2020 but was unfortunately delayed until this year. The project has been named ‘Wrapped’ and is now scheduled to be completed this week.
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The artists’ website goes on to detail the required materials for the installation – ‘Wrapped’ will require 269,098 square feet of recyclable polypropylene material and a further 22,966 feet of rope so that the Arc De Triomphe will be adequately covered. The monument is roughly 165 feet tall and 150 feet wide.
The art installation was originally conceived back in 1961 by the pair. However, it was after the death of Jeanne-Claude in 2009 that the other half of the duo, Christo, decided to make it a reality in memory of his partner. It was in April of 2019 that Christo first publically announced his interest in the project, saying: “Thirty-five years after Jeanne-Claude and I wrapped the Pont-Neuf, I am eager to work in Paris again to realize our project for the Arc de Triomphe”.
Unfortunately, Christo passed in 2020, but his estate kept on with his mission, using the sale of Christo’s artworks to fund the exhibition. The project was directed by the nephew of Christo, Vladimir Yavachev. On his uncles, Yavachev had this to say: “Christo and Jeanne-Claude lived to realize their projects, and The Ville de Paris exhibition reflects the spirit of their public works of art across the world… 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.”