Starting April 6, 2020, you can see something in Paris that no one has ever seen before: The Arc de Triomphe covered in silver fabric. The work of art, an idea from Bulgarian-American artist Christo, will be on display for two weeks only until April 19.
Titled “Wrapped,” the work has been sixty years in the making. The idea was originally a collaboration between Christo and his late wife, Jeanne Claude, according to Dezeen. The installation is being shared as part of Centre Pompidou, a series of art exhibitions and installations across Europe. The centre will be dedicating an entire exhibit to the iconic couple in March 2020.
At its most basic description, “Wrapped” is a massive sheet of recyclable fabric (we’re talking 27,000-square-feet of fabric) and nearly 23,000 feet of red rope. The entire landmark will be covered in the silver fabric, giving off of the illusion of a gift.
It’s not the first time Christo has wrapped a major attraction in fabric, but it does mark his first solo “Wrapped” piece. The last one focused on the oldest bridge in Paris, the Pont-Neuf, and was covered in fabric by Christo and Jeanne Claude in 1984.
