Christo, The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City, 2003. Deutsche Bank Collection. Courtesy & © Christo
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Christo, The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City, 2003. Deutsche Bank Collection. Courtesy & © Christo
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Herbert Zapp (left) and Christo in front of "The Pont Neuf Wrapped", Paris 1985, Photo signed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude
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Christo, Wrapped Reichstag, Project for Berlin, 1978. Deutsche Bank Collection. Courtesy & © Christo
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Christo, Wrapped Reichstag, Project for Berlin, 1992. Deutsche Bank Collection. Courtesy & © Christo
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They were much more than an artist couple: Christo and Jeanne-Claude were inseparable for 51 years - both in their private life and professionally. The photographer Wolfgang Volz, who documented all of their works, called the connection an "artistic symbiosis". Now Jeanne-Claude has died at the age of 74 in her home city New York. It was here that Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who were both born on June 13, 1935, realized their final big project, The Gates. In February 2005, they installed 7,500 gates in Central Park on which they draped pieces of orange fabric. As with all of their actions,
The Gates was financed through the sale of models, drawings and editions. The Deutsche Bank Collection was among those who acquired works to this project. The Gates was a tremendous success: Five million visitors came to the park to experience the visionary installation.
As equal partners Jeanne-Claude and Christo realized numerous temporary projects in public spaces. By wrapping familiar objects, including cars, buildings and even islands, they pushed these objects back into viewers' awareness. Among their legendary installations was the wrapping of the Pont Neuf in Paris in 1985. It was here where Herbert Zapp met the two artists. As a reminder of this encounter, they sent the founder of the Deutsche Bank Collection a signed photograph showing Zapp and Christo in front of the wrapped bridge above the Seine. Twenty years later, millions of visitors flocked to the artists' Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin. Shiny silver material gave the building an almost magical aura. Photographs and prints to this project are on view at Deutsche Bank's headquarters in Berlin. Despite the death of Jeanne-Claude, Over the River, their project for the Arkansas River in Colorado, and The Mastaba in the United Arab Emirates will go on. On the couple's website it says: "The art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude will continue."
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