Arc De Triomphe Wrapped by Christo

There’s been high anticipation for the unveiling of the Arc De Triomphe Wrapped by Christo, as 1200 workers have been working non-stop, seven days a week for the last month for it to open on time for September 18. 

I went twice, first on Friday night, when it was dramatically bathed in white light, and early on Saturday morning, when the pleated fabric contrasted with the sharp red cord stood out against the combination of clouds and patches of blue sky. The image was quite striking. 

Although the wrapping of the Arc De Triomphe is a triumph, it’s bittersweet because Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude are not here to witness their final project being realized after 60 years. It wasn’t their first foray into Paris; in 1985 the Pont Neuf and 44 lamp posts were covered in 450,000 square feet in a neutral color fabric for two weeks, attracting three million viewers. 

The arch is wrapped in 270,000 square feet of silver and blue shimmery fabric, polypropylene, which is recyclable and then tied with almost two miles of shiny red cord. 

I noticed that the volunteers were wearing cool uniforms of black, pleated pants, with a bright blue vest and a red belt and accessories. I asked one of them about the outfit, and she said it was designed by Issaye Miyake who was friends with Christo. At one point the volunteer asked me if I would like a piece of the wrapping material, and she handed me a square of fabric, blue on one side, silver on the other. It’s wonderful keepsake to mark the occasion and I have already archived it. 

One of things I most admire and appreciate about Christo’s work is that it’s created for the public. I vividly remember attending the Central Park Gates Project in February of 2005, six months before I moved to Paris. Even though it was a freezing, dreary day, I was uplifted by a sense of pride and community, as New Yorkers shared a moment of wonder and awe simultaneously at the sheer magnitude of the thousands of orange banners enveloping the park. It also came at the right moment, as New York was finally healing from the horror of 9/11.  As I watched the jubilant crowd this morning lining up to cross the Place Etoile to view the arch, I felt the same sense pride and community as I did in New York. After the 18-month scourge and fatigue of Covid, we were able to safely gather and joyously celebrate the stunning results of Christo and Jeanne Claude's swan song. 

Arc De Triomphe Wrapped by Christo is up until October 3. 

Comments

[Carolyn Campbell]

Thank you, Richard for this wonderful report. I envy you! I saw the umbrellas here in Southern California many years ago and worked on an exhibition of Christo and Jeanne Claude's models and drawings for proposed projects on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. They were a true dream team of artists.

[Suzanne Ehrenfeld]

The wrapped Washington Square Park Arch in 1980 came way before the Central Park Gates (which was fabulous)