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Culture
01 Jun 2020

Remembering Christo, the artist who transformed landscapes around the world

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Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1983

To complement the shallow azure waters and clear skies of Miami, Christo encompassed a series of islands in Biscayne Bay with 603,870 square metres of luminous pink fabric. The fabric was attached to pink-painted booms that were towed and anchored in place, and made for a sight to behold for those in the skies and at sea. When the installation was removed, it was said that the islands were in better condition as the team cleared up almost 40 tons of trash that had either washed up on the islands or floated around it.

Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1972

The 28-month long project saw the husband-wife duo suspend a 381m-long orange fabric between two mountains in the Hogback Mountain Range in Colorado. The tremendous feat of engineering and coordination proved to be an expensive project, especially since the first installation attempt saw a gust of wind destroy the massive nylon fabric. When it was finally erected successfully, the installation only saw 28 hours before strong winds forced it to be taken down. 

The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2016

The tranquillity of Lake Iseo in Lombardy, Italy was temporarily punctuated by three kilometres of saffron-hued pathways that connected the mainland to two small islands. The project was the subject of the documentary “Walking on Water” released last year, and allowed people to walk freely on both the land and sea without feeling like they needed a purpose. The golden walkways could also be viewed from atop the surrounding mountains.

The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake, London, 2018

Long fascinated by the trapezoid form of the mastaba, Christo and his late wife originally planned to float one on Lake Michigan back in 1967. The London Mastaba was his first major work in the UK, and saw 7,506 red, blue, and mauve barrels secured to scaffolding and anchored in the lake to form a 20m-high structure. The shape — once found in the architecture of benches in the Mesopotamian era and in the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings — was a sight to behold as swans and pedals boats navigated around it. 

The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 2005

In 2005, New York City’s Central Park saw 600 workers install 7,503 fabric panels with matching saffron-coloured steel gateways. The 23-mile walkway was designed to mirror the city’s grid pattern, while the bold fabric — which fluttered freely in the breeze — reflected the movement in the bare trees and added much-needed life to the wintry grounds.

Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, Germany, 1995

It only took 24 years of lobbying before this project was realised, but when the harnessed polypropylene finally made it atop the German Parliament in late June 1995, the world saw the transformative effect the duo was capable of. The shimmery fabric, which lightly cocooned the intricate structure, made the once imposing building light and approachable again. Although it took more than two decades to get approved, the symbolic installation lasted less than a fortnight before being taken down.

Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, 1968-69

Using one million square feet of erosion-control fabric, 35 miles of polypropylene rope, 25,000 fasteners, and countless studs and clips, the duo covered 1.5 miles of rock coast in Sydney to create Wrapped Coast. A retired major from the Army Corps of Engineers was in charge of the 15 climbers and 110 workers at the site, and the entire project took 17,000 manpower hours. The wrapping of the coastline served to re-contextualise and defamiliarise the well-known natural setting, offering people a new perspective by setting limitations to what they can and cannot see. 

The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, France, 1985

In 1985, the duo wrapped Paris’ oldest bridge in sandstone-coloured fabric with the help of 300 professional workers. Over 450,000 square feet of woven polyamide fabric was used here, and in continuing the theme of urban metamorphosis gave the iconic time-tested structure a new sculptural dimension.

Shatricia Nair
Deputy Editor
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Remembering Christo, the artist who transformed landscapes around the world
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While many artists were busy bringing their imagination to life with canvases, easels and paintbrushes, one sought to dream even bigger than anyone could even begin to imagine. 

Bulgarian-born artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff (better known simply as Christo) wasn’t interested in the sterile white walls of the Met or MoMA. Instead, he and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, turned the entire world into a giant art gallery with near-impossible installations, transforming the way people looked and felt about their surroundings in the process.

The late Christo. (Image credit: Wolfgang Volz)

The 84-year-old visionary might have just passed away of natural causes in his home in New York, but his work will forever live on in memories all over the world. After all, it’s not possible to simply forget strolling across Lake Iseo on 100,000 square metres of bright yellow fabric, nor is seeing Berlin’s historic edifice, The Reichstag, completely swathed in blue material.

Those who’s had the great fortune of seeing — and experiencing — his grand projects in person can testify to the enormous wonders his childlike belief, persistence, charm have given birth to. Born on 13 June 1935 into a prominent family in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, Christo always showed an interest in art as a child, and went on to study at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia. Because the country was under Communist control, one of his propaganda assignments was to advise farmers along the Orient Express route to arrange their haystacks and machinery to give the illusion of bustling activity. It was there where he learnt about working in open spaces and collaborating with people outside of his field.

A protest against the Berlin Wall: Wall of Oil Barrels – The Iron Curtain, Rue Visconti, Paris, 1961-62 (Image credit: Jean-Dominique Lajoux
© 1962 Christo)

After moving to Paris with his wife, Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, the duo dabbled in provocative works that critiqued capitalism and packaging, but Christo dreamt beyond guerrilla political installations; he wanted to wrap buildings and whole environments. In 1969, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago agreed to be sheathed in his creative vision. Later that year, he wrapped a million square feet of Sydney’s coastline in erosion-control fabric with the help of 15 professional climbers and 110 workers.

Jeanne-Claude might’ve passed away in 2009, but Christo was set on realising their collective vision. In London’s Hyde Park, the usual tranquility of Lake Serpentine was interrupted by a floating mastaba formed by 300,000 boldly-coloured oil drums in 2018. His epic showmanship even extended to North America, where he transformed landmarks in Colorado, Miami, and New York City into works of art.

His million-dollar installations — all self-funded via sales of his original drawings — have been stalled by bureaucracy and political red-tape countless times, but his artful draping and perception-altering experiences always found their way back into urban landscapes. 

Christo
(Image credit: Christo/André Grossmann)

The late artist leaves behind one of his biggest dreams yet: to wrap the Arc de Triomphe. The project —which is still on track to be completed by 18 September 2021— was first conceived while he was living in Paris in 1962. His opportunity came when the Centre Pompidou invited him to create an installation to coincide with a new exhibition, to which he boldly replied “I will not do anything in Paris except wrap the Arc de Triomphe.” When it’s up, people will have the chance to walk on and touch the blue and silver fabrics and red rope that cover the grand monument. 

Scroll through the gallery above for some of Christo’s most impressive (and monumental) works of art.

Art Culture Artist Christo
Shatricia Nair
Deputy Editor
Shatricia Nair is a motoring, watches, and wellness writer who is perpetually knee-deep in the world of V8s, tourbillons, and the latest fitness trends. She is fuelled by peanut butter and three cups of coffee a day.
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