It is the lifelong dream of the late artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude: In a few days, the Paris triumphal arch will be completely covered.
Paris – The spectacular countdown of Christ’s wrapping of the Paris triumphal arch has begun. Over 70 building climbers rolled out huge panels of fabric over the symbol of the French metropolis on Sunday.
The Arc de Triomphe should be wrapped up by September 18th – and thus a lifelong dream of the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude, whose fulfillment, however, can no longer be seen. Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, Christo on May 31, 2020.
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The material for the realization of this dream comes from Lübeck. The company “geo – Die Luftwerker” manufactured the 25,000 square meter shell there.
The wrapping, for which Christo had already completed all the plans and drawings before his death, was originally planned for autumn 2020. However, after Christo’s death and because of the corona restrictions, it was postponed to 2021. That is why the finished lengths of fabric were temporarily stored in a hall in Greven in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. From there they were brought to Paris by truck.
Over 70 building climbers are lowering the panels, and the work should be completed by SaturdayPhoto: Thomas Samson / dpa
The project goes back to the beginning of the 1960s. Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude began to create temporary works for public spaces at this time. The idea to pack the Arc de Triomphe was born.
In 1962/63 Christo produced a photomontage of the wrapping, followed by a collage in 1988, before continuing and further developing the project in 2017. In 1985 Christo and Jeanne-Claude had enveloped the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris.
The veiled triumphal arch can be admired from September 18 to October 3. In Germany, the couple gained greater prominence when the Reichstag was veiled in 1995.
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