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Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Life of Projects

Until July 21st, the Stern Pissarro Gallery in London presents the exhibition “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Life of Projects”, dedicated to the pioneering and distinctive work of contemporary environmental artists Christo (1935) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) across the world.

Wrapped Reichstag (Project for Berlin) © Christo
Wrapped Reichstag (Project for Berlin) © Christo

Showcasing rare original works, the exhibition will focus on their most famous projects and provide a unique opportunity to understand what Christo and Jeanne-Claude defined as their “software period”: the time during which the project exists only on Christo’s preparatory works of art and in the imagination of the artists. It will include original works from their early Wrapped Objects series (1958-69) and their now-iconic wrapped buildings, The Pont Neuf Wrapped, 1985 and the Wrapped Reichstag (Project for Berlin), 1995. Other highlights include work for the Surrounded Islands (Project for Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida), 1983 that involved weaving walkways of synthetic pink fabric around 11 islands, Valley Curtain (Project for Colorado), 1971, Over the River (Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado), 1992, and the recent 2016 project Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy).

Valley Curtain (Project for Colorado) © Christo
Valley Curtain (Project for Colorado) © Christo

We don’t have a philosophy of art. What is it that Christo and Jeanne-Claude do? We wish to create works of art, works of joy and of beauty. As with every true work of art, it has absolutely no purpose whatsoever: it is not a message, it is not a symbol, it is only a work of art. And like every true artist, we create those works of art for us and our collaborators.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy) © Christo
Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy) © Christo

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Life of Projects
From June 20th till July 21st
Stern Pissarro Gallery – 66 St. James’s Street, London SW1A 1NE, United Kingdom
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday : 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm