Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The Gates

Softcover, flaps, 233 x 290 mm



Saffron in the city



In February 2005, Christo and Jeanne-Claude completed a monumental work of art in New York City’s Central Park. First conceived in 1979 but rejected by New York City government in 1981, the project, featuring 7500 16-foot-high vinyl gates lining the park’s paths from which hang from saffron-colored fabric panels, was finally approved by the governor in 2003. Seen from the buildings surrounding the park, The Gates looked like a golden, flowing river, while those walking through them experienced the ambience of a fluid, golden ceiling. Financed entirely by artists through their C.V.J. Corporation, The Gates were fabricated and assembled in local factories and installed by local workers, thus providing employment for thousands of New York City residents. Unrolled on February 12, “Flowering Day,” The Gates remained in place for sixteen days, after which they were disassembled and the materials recycled. The installation was free for all visitors, who continued to use Central Park undisturbed during the whole process. This book, which documents the entire project from its beginnings in 1979 to its completion in 2005, is the perfect souvenir for who want to remember this ephemeral work of art.



The authors: Wolfgang Volz has been working with Christo and Jeanne-Claude since 1972. He was the technical director for the projects “Wrapped Reichstag,” “Wrapped Trees” and the installation “The Wall.” He is also responsible for the photography of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s works. This close collaboration has resulted in many books and more than 300 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. Wolfgang Volz and his wife and partner, Sylvia Volz, live and work in Dusseldorf, Germany. Anne L. Strauss is Assistant Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She curated the show "Christo and Jeanne-Claude: On the Way to The Gates" in 2004.