Even in the final year of Christo’s life, he was working towards wrapping Paris' entire Arc de Triomphe in great swathes of shimmering, silvery-blue fabric. The ambitious work, titled L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped and 60 years in the making, became a reality in September 2021, also featuring in the Sotheby’s exhibition, a year after the artist died aged 84.
A new limited-edition book, published by Taschen, narrates the behind-the-scenes story of this monumental project, which was conceived by Christo and his life partner Jeanne-Claude. The pair met in Paris in 1958 and were best known for site-specific work that consumed monumental landmarks and environmental sites in fabric.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, published by Taschen
What Christo referred to as ‘gentle disturbances’ were radical alterations to landscapes and cityscapes. Gentle, perhaps, in their ephemerality, but not in their visual impact. As Christo once said, ‘Each of our projects is like a slice of our life, myself and Jeanne-Claude. And the journey is so exciting, it is an adventure in the real world.’
The new book, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, is published in an edition of 2,000. Spanning 450 pages designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s studio in close collaboration with Taschen, the book chronicles in stunning detail how L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped went from early fantasy to final, mindblowing installation, which was seen by 6 million viewers over 16 days on Place de l’Étoile (and was also the subject of a the Sotheby’s exhibition, ‘The Final Christo‘ during the same period).
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, published by Taschen
This substantial tome offers a permanent tribute to a fleeting installation that formed a spectacular finale to the duo’s epic career.
For those eager to own their own piece of art history, a Limited Collector's Edition of 2,500 copies is also available, signed by project photographer Wolfgang Volz (who has worked with Christo and Jeanne-Claude as exclusive photographer of their works since 1971), each accompanied by a 24 x 24 cm swatch of the original silver fabric, alongside two different artist editions.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, published by Taschen
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, published by Taschen
Christo and Jeanne-Claude. L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, is now available, £350. taschen.com
-
La Monique brings the French Riviera to Santa MonicaA transportive room of velvet, candlelight, and Riviera chic, serving French favourites with a modern wink
-
Kat Milne is the designer behind fashion’s most intriguing retail spacesInfused with elements of the surreal, Kat Milne has designed stores for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and A24. ‘People are looking for a more tactile experience,’ she tells Wallpaper*
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
Inez & Vinoodh unveil romantic new photography series in ParisA series of portraits of couple Charles Matadin and Natalie Brumley, created using an iPhone in Marfa, Texas, goes on show in Paris
-
Inside Davé, Polaroids from a little-known Paris hotspot where the A-list playedChinese restaurant Davé drew in A-list celebrities for three decades. What happened behind closed doors? A new book of Polaroids looks back
-
All eyes on Paris Photo 2025 – focus on our highlightsThe world's most important international photography fair brings together iconic and emerging names, galleries large and small – and there’s much to covet
-
Ten things to see and do at Art Basel Paris 2025Art Basel Paris takes over the city from 24-26 October. Here are the highlights, from Elmgreen & Dragset to Barbara Kruger and Dash Snow
-
Yulia Mahr digs beneath the skin in her modern update of classic Greek statues in ParisIn 'The Church of Our Becoming', on view at the Courtyard at Dover Street Market Paris, Yulia Mahr celebrates real human bodies
-
Wolfgang Tillmans brings a performative edge to bibliophilia at the Centre Pompidou’s libraryAs the Centre Pompidou’s library is emptied ahead of the venue’s five-year restoration, the German photographer moves in for a final fling of a Paris exhibition
-
A song for the dead – Josh Homme on performing for six million souls in the bowels of the Paris CatacombsA rock band, a brush with death and an underground tomb coalesce in haunting new Queens of the Stone Age film, ‘Alive in the Catacombs’. Wallpaper* meets frontman Josh Homme and director Thomas Rames
-
‘David Hockney 25’: inside the artist’s blockbuster Paris show‘David Hockney 25’ has opened at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver took a tour of the colossal, colourful show
