For nearly half a century, Christo
and Jeanne-Claude have combined the artistic force of the
individual creator with the methods and materials of the
industrial and post-industrial society. Never before seen in
America, this exhibition traces the course of a 10-year process
that transformed Paris’s oldest bridge into one of the largest
temporary artworks of all time. Once again, the Pont-Neuf was
the social heart of the city—as it was nearly 400 years ago.
Preliminary drawings, collages,
photographs and correspondence tell the dynamic story of how one
of the largest artworks ever created in Paris was realized.
Completely wrapped in 454,178 square feet of woven polyamide
fabric, 42,900 feet of rope, the Pont-Neuf became the gilded
center of the international avant-garde art world. Christo and
Jeanne-Claude invite us to forget the inherent anachronism of a
structure first built in 1606 and realize the force of a symbol
that unites the concepts of using fabric and presentation with
the poetic longings for mystery and the possibility of
transcendence.
Discover a dramatic creative
journey—from concept, exploration, imaging, securing official
permissions and fabricating materials—to the final 14-day
metamorphosis of ancient stone into a work of art.
This exhibition’s only American
appearance will introduce Northwest audiences to the Christos
prior to the February opening of The Gates, Central Park, New
York, 1979-2005.
