![]() ![]() Among other monuments and emblematic sites, the couple intervened the Reichstag in 1995, wrapping the German parliament in thousands of metres of material and kilometres of rope, in place for barely a month. ![]() From a wrapped tree to a whole building covered in material, these pieces are able to change our perception or relationship with our surroundings and the built environment. What do London, Sydney, New York, Miami, Kansas and Berlin have in common? All of them are cities or locations which have seen artworks created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They create a tremendous intensity when they are there for a few days.” (Christo) Ephemeral art, the poetry of transience “All these projects have this strong dimension of missing, of self-effacement … they will go away, like our childhood, our life. The couple employed synthetic materials in bold, uniform colours, masterfully contrasting or highlighting features of each different location. That’s why Christo liked to define their works as “gentle disturbances” in public space. Akin to Land Art projects, with a special emphasis on the landscape and its (wrapped) features, these creations encouraged viewers to engage with surroundings which so often go unnoticed. Their spectacular interventions, their huge, ephemeral artworks, left an indelible mark on the memory of those who saw them, even though they were created to be viewed only for a few days. Like “the tents of nomadic tribes,” the monumental artworks by Christo and Jeanne-Claude were quickly put up then taken down again at the same speed, fleeting like life itself. Together with his wife Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009), the artist created spectacular installations, often characterised by surrounding or wrapping features of the built or natural environment, including islands (Biscayne Bay, 1983) bridges (for example, Central Park, 2005) or a stretch of coastline (Sydney, 1969). Just a couple of months ago, on 31 May, Christo (1935-2020) passed away. ![]()
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