Christo and Jeanne-Claude. L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped

by Jonathan William Henery (Contributor), Jonathan William Henery, Wolfgang Volz (Photographer)

1961, 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 finally came 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 is temporary and runs 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 is 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.

Genres: Art

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2021

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about the practicalities of wrapping the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I have long been a fan of Christo's wrapped structures and this one beats them all. The book gives an insight into his meticulous planning and preparation, as well as some history on the Arc itself, the size of the thing and the various government bodies involved.

[oskar]

Insane shit

[Jordi Gran · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting document with Christo and Jeanne-Claude's usual flare. Plenty of photos from the development of the project, saleable kind-of-project-like mock-ups, and gorgeous photos of the final —and posthumous— final work. Got a similar book on their Surrounded Islands in Miami and couldn't help grabbing this one fresh from the oven.