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The idea of covering the Arc de Triomphe with fabric originated from Christo, a Bulgarian artist who passed away last year, and his late wife and long-time collaborator, Jeanne-Claude.
The late artist Christo, famous for his many colossal installations around the world, had dreamed of covering this 50-meter-tall monument since renting an apartment nearby in the 1960s. He always worked with his wife, whether it was covering the Reichstag in Berlin (Germany) or blanketing the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris (France) in gold leaf. Yet, his dream of doing the same with the Arc de Triomphe never came true.
Although Christo died before his goal was achieved, the dream was eventually realized by his grandson, Vladimir Javacheff, at a cost of approximately 14 million euros (US$16.54 million). Vladimir collaborated with the Pompidou Museum and French authorities to make the project a reality.
Vladimir Javacheff said: “Today is one of the most spectacular moments since the project began. Covering the Arc de Triomphe with fabric is a lifelong dream of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.”
Many passersby on the Champs-Elysees were surprised to see workers laying out rolls of fabric on the Arc de Triomphe since the work began on September 12th. The work is expected to be completed on September 18th and will be on display until October 3rd.
The Arc de Triomphe was built in the 1800s by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to commemorate the unknown soldiers who died in his battles.
Additional information
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born in 1935. He spent time in Austria and Switzerland before moving to Paris, where he met Jeanne-Claude. Besides creating large-scale installations in various landmarks, the two also collaborated on monumental environmental art projects before Jeanne-Claude's death in 2009.
