L’Arc de Triomphe Wrapped -in plastic fabric- in Paris is now open to the public after postponing the project due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Courtesy of Jad Sylla
The temporary installation is designed by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, it showcases L’Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées wrapped in 25,000 square meters of silver, recyclable fabric, tied to the iconic arch by 7,000 meters of red rope. It opened to the public on Saturday 18 September and will be in place for 16 days, until October 3rd.
The fabric and ropes used to cover L’Arc de Triomphe Wrapped are all made from polypropylene, a type of recyclable thermoplastic. Christo, one of the artists of the project, previously said that these materials will move with the wind and gleam in the light—the installation needed to be interactive, evoking “a living object”, to further encourage people to interact with it and “want to touch it.”
Courtesy of Jad Sylla
“It will be like a living thing that comes to life in the wind and reflects the light. The folds will move, the surface of the monument will become sensual. People will want to touch the Arc de Triomphe”.
The installation has attracted a large number of crowds over the weekend, and to make it more accessible, the large Place Charles de Gaulle road junction and other streets surrounding the Parisian landmark are temporarily closed, allowing pedestrians to approach and see it freely.
Moreover, visitors can observe the intervention done to L’Arc de Triomphe from its terrace, which is still open to the public alongside its interiors.
Courtesy of Benjamin Loyseau – Christo and Jeanne Claude Foundation
L’Arc de Triomphe was originally commissioned by French ruler Napoléon Bonaparte after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1806. Hence the French architect Jean Chalgrin designed a 50 meters high triumphal arch. However, the project was not complete until 1836 after being halted following Bonaparte’s fall from power.
Vladimir Yavachev, the director of L’Arc de Triomphe Wrapped, said the installation fulfills the “life-long dream” of partners Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The duo was known for wrapping famous buildings in different ways around the world, to convey certain meanings to the public.
The idea to wrap L’Arc de Triomphe first hit the artists back in 1961, but the design wasn’t fully developed until 2017 by Christo on his own, eight years after Jeanne-Claude passed away.
Sadly enough, Christo passed away in 2020, and the installation was carried out by his team in collaboration with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Centre Pompidou, and the City of Paris.
Courtesy of Jad Sylla
The project, just like all other interventions by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, was fully funded by the artists themselves through the sale of their artwork. They believed that this gave them complete artistic freedom.
Other urban interventions by the artists include Valley Curtain in Colorado, Surrounded Islands in Florida, and the German Reichstag in Berlin.
L’Arc de Triomphe is waiting for another makeover as part of a larger scheme that aims to turn the Champs-Élysées avenue into a more pedestrian-friendly public space. This includes introducing more greenery around the iconic arch.
Project Info :
Designed by the artists: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Location: Paris , France
Photographs: Jad Sylla , Benjamin Loyseau – Christo and Jeanne Claude Foundation
