Christo

We cordially invite you to a virtual tour of our exhibition "BOISSERÉE GOES POP":




Works of art

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped", Schellmann 144

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped"

Project for Paris

Collage 1989

71 x 55,5 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 259 Exemplare

Schellmann 144

[25893]

"L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped" Project for Paris
Paris 2021


25,000 sqm silvery blue fabric and 3,000 meters of red rope bring a long-prepared and large-scale wrapping project by Christo & Jeanne-Claude to life.
As long ago as 1961 the artist couple had the idea to curtain the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Soon followed by studies, photographs, architectural models and collages.
Now, 60 years later, this wonderful idea is being realised. One of the most emblematic monuments in France can be seen wrapped from September 18th to October 3rd.

A very interesting feature from SWR shows the complex preparations.

Paris – Live-Stream


Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Trees", Schellmann 133

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Trees"

Project for the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris

Lithographie und Collage 1987

71 x 56,5 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 285 Exemplare

Schellmann 133

[26117]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Trees", Schellmann 160

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Trees"

Project for the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris

Lithographie und Collage 1992

69,5 x 74,8 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 160 Exemplare

Schellmann 160

[24748]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Mein Kölner Dom, Wrapped", Schellmann 161

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Mein Kölner Dom, Wrapped"

(Project for Cologne Germany)

Lithographie und Collage 1980/92

55,7 x 70,5 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage ca. 200 Exemplare

Schellmann 161

[26073]

Christo, "Puerta de Alcalá, Wrapped", Schellmann 107

Christo

(Gabrowo 1935 – 2020 New York)

"Puerta de Alcalá, Wrapped"

(Project for Madrid)

Lithographie mit Stoffcollage, Zwirn, Stadtplan und Fotografie 1981

70,7 x 55,2 cm

sign. num.

Auflage 134 Exemplare

Schellmann 107

[25812]

Christo, "Ponte Sant' Angelo, wrapped", Schellmann 205

Christo

(Gabrowo 1935 – 2020 New York)

"Ponte Sant' Angelo, wrapped"

(Project for Rome)

Fotografie, Collage, Licht- und Siebdruck 1969/2011

63,5 x 72 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 323 Exemplare

Schellmann 205

[25760]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "The Ponte Sant' Angelo, Wrapped", Schellmann 143

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"The Ponte Sant' Angelo, Wrapped"

Project for Rome

Lithographie und Collage 1989

71 x 55,5 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 259 Exemplare

Schellmann 143

[24740]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Building", Schellmann 187

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Building"

(Project for # 1 Times Square, 42 Street and Broadway, New York City

Lithographie und Siebdruck mit Collage 2003

78 x 59,5 cm

sign. num.

Auflage 260 Exemplare

Schellmann 187

[24037]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude,

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Snoopy House"

Projekt für das Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa, Kalifornien

Stoffcollage auf Lithographie 2004/2005

62,5 x 54,1 cm

sign. num. dat. bet.

Auflage 302 Exemplare

Schellmann 188

[26289]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Ericsson Display Monitor Unit 3111, Wrapped", Schellmann 120

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Ericsson Display Monitor Unit 3111, Wrapped"

(Project for Personal Computer)

Farblithographie und Collage 1985

71 x 56,5 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 155 Exemplare

Schellmann 120

[26230]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Automobile",  noch nicht bei Schellmann

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Automobile"

(Project for 1960 Studebaker Champion Series 9 G Coupe)

Lithographie und Collage 2015

43 x 53,2 cm

sign. num. dat.

Auflage 200 Exemplare

noch nicht bei Schellmann

[24040]

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Wrapped Sylvette", Schellmann 059

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935–2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935–2009 NY)

"Wrapped Sylvette"

(Project for Picasso's Sylvette at Washington Square Village, New York)

Farblicht- und Farbsiebdruck mit Collage 1972

65 x 50 cm

sign. num.

Auflage 165 Exemplare

Schellmann 059

[24119]


Leben & Werk

"The Mastaba (Project for London, Hyde Park, Serpentine Lake)" London 2018

Bis zum 23. September 2018 war im Hyde Park London Christos jüngstes Project "The Mastaba (Project for London, Hyde Park, Serpentine Lake)" zu sehen. Es ist seine erste Arbeit im öffentlichen Raum in Großbritannien.

Wie bei allen Projekten wird auch das Londoner ausschließlich durch den Künstler selbst bzw. durch den Verkauf seiner Kunstwerke finanziert.

Die Galerie Boisserée nimmt die Londoner Ausstellung daher zum Anlass, einige seiner druckgraphischen Arbeiten anzubieten, u.a. die collagierte Lithographie "Texas Mastaba (Project for 500,000 Stacked Oil Drums)" von 1976.

Die Londoner Mastaba besteht aus 7506 horizontal übereinandergeschichteten ölfässern. Sie ist 20 m hoch, 30 Meter breit und 40 Meter lang. Die Fässer der beiden horizontalen schrägen Ansichten sind in den Farben Rot und Weiß gestrichen, die anderen in den Farben Rot, Blau und Lila.

Die Mastaba, das arabische Wort für Steinbank, ein altägyptischer, sich nach oben verjüngender Grabbau mit rechteckigem Grundriss, je zwei vertikalen und zwei schrägen Seitenwänden sowie einem abgeflachten Dach, hatte Christo und Jeanne-Claude schon früh begeistert.
Im November 2012 berichtete die britische Zeitschrift Observer, dass das seit 1997 vom Künstlerpaar Christo und Jeanne-Claude geplante, einer altägyptischen Mastaba nachempfundene Kunstwerk südlich der Liwa-Oasen, 160 km von Abu Dhabi entfernt, 2013 begonnen werden sollte. Es handelt sich um ein Objekt aus 410.000 leeren ölfässern mit einer Seitenlänge von jeweils 400 Metern und einer Höhe von 150 Metern. Das Kunstwerk wäre nach Vollendung sowohl das größte, als auch das bis dahin teuerste Kunstwerk der Welt. Die Verhandlungen haben bisher noch nicht zu einem Ergebnis geführt, aber Christo gibt seinen Wüstentraum nicht auf.

Seit Ende der 50er Jahre verwenden Christo und Jeanne-Claude ölfässer für ihre Projekte.

Bereits 1961 errichteten sie im Rheinauhafen Köln das Ensemble "Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages".

Mit dem Aufsehen erregenden Werk "Wall of Oil Barrels – The Iron Curtin" verbarrikadierten sie 1962 eine Straße in Paris und bezogen so Stellung zur Berliner Mauer.

1999 realisierten sie im Gasometer Oberhausen mit 13.000 leuchtend farbig bemalten Fässern das spektakuläre Projekt "The Wall of Oil Barrels".


Christo & Jeanne-Claude, "Texas Mastaba", Schellmann 85

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

(Gabrowo 1935 – 2020 NY) (Casablanca 1935 – 2009 NY)

"Texas Mastaba"

(Project for 500,000 Stacked Oil Drums) (Projekt für 500.000 ölfässer)

Lithographie mit collagiertem Farbsiebdruck auf braunem Karton 1976

76,2 x 56,8 cm

sign. num. bez.

Auflage 245 Exemplare

Schellmann 85

[24020]


Biografie

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude were both born on 13 June 1935 and are among the most popular artist couples of the twentieth century. Jeanne-Claude died in New York City in 2009 and Christo in 2020.

They received international recognition for their jointly conceived wrapping actions, mostly of landscapes or architecture. Christo took over the artistic part, while Jeanne-Claude was an excellent organiser for the often-painstaking detail work of years of preparation. Nevertheless, they always made decisions together in both areas.

Christo, who did not want to follow the curriculum laid out by the communist government at the Academy of Art in Bulgaria, fled to Paris in 1957 via Vienna and Geneva. There, he initially lived under miserable conditions and earned his living by commissioned portraits. Through one of his clients, he met her daughter and his future wife, Jeanne-Claude.

In Paris, Christo experienced the ‘packaging chic’ of a capitalist world. In this environment, he began with his first wrapped and packaged works, but used very simple and poor materials for these and staged his packaged objects in such a way that the object packaged becomes not only invisible, but the object suspected beneath the packaging becomes the centre of the viewer’s curiosity.

In 1961, the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude staged their first project in a public space, a wrapping of metal barrels in the Cologne harbour. On 27 June 1962, Christo and Jeanne-Claude blocked the Rue de Visconti in Paris with large oil barrels, commenting on the recent construction of the Berlin Wall. Two years later, they moved their main residence to the USA.

In 1968, Christo participated in documenta IV with a 5600-cubic-metre balloon-like object. Two years later, the spectacular project Valley Curtain was presented, for which the artist couple covered an entire valley in the Rocky Mountains. In 1980, another monumental project was realized, the Surrounded Islands, covering the entire shores of eleven islands near Miami. In 1985, the Pont Neuf was covered in Paris and, in 1990, the artist couple installed thousands of oversized yellow and blue umbrellas simultaneously in Japan and California. In 1995, the spectacular wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin took place – the list of important examples of projects could be continued.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude did not create any lasting works of art with the wrapping actions, as all the projects were dismantled after completion. These projects are thus immaterial artworks in the form of lasting memories. For example, anyone who has been able to experience the Wrapped Reichstag live can speak of the unforgettable fascination that has remained in their memory forever.

The projects were prepared by Christo and Jeanne-Claude over several years and were usually extremely expensive. The budget for the project Umbrellas, for example, was roughly twenty-six million dollars.

Christo always wanted to be free as an artist and therefore financed his projects himself and strictly refused the support of sponsors. The projects were always financed through the sale of drawings, collages and print editions, as well as of photos or films.


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