The exhibition is presented at a special offsite location, 27 avenue Matignon, from September 16 to October 5, 2021. Open from 11am to 8pm daily.

In collaboration with Christopher Taylor and Alessandro Possati | Zuecca Projects, Cahiers d’Art is pleased to present Christo: Early Works & Unrealized Projects.

On the occasion of L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris (1961-2021), a posthumous project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, this exhibition presents a selection of original works by Christo for unrealized projects and soon-to-be-realized projects, and early works by Christo from the ‘50s and ’60s.

Presented together, these early works – Craters, Wrapped Magazines, Packages, and Store Fronts – trace the development in Christo’s creative practice from relief-like surface textures to the appropriation of small-scale everyday objects, until extending his vision to the surrounding space.

Alongside these works, there are preparatory studies, drawings, collages, and scale models of both unrealized and soon-to-be-realized projects, on which Christo and Jeanne-Claude worked throughout their lives. Among those in focus are two projects for Paris, Wrapped Trees, Avenue des Champs-Elysées (1969, not realized) and Pont Alexander III, Wrapped (1972–73, not realized); The Daiba Project at Tokyo Bay, Odaiba Park (1996, not realized); Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River, Colorado (1992, canceled in 2017); and The Abu Dhabi Mastaba in Abu Dhabi (1977–in progress), which will be Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s only permanent large-scale work.

From early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art transcends the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture, and architecture. Their works include Wrapped Coast near Sydney (1968–69), Valley Curtain in Colorado (1970–72), Running Fence in California (1972–76), Surrounded Islands in Miami (1980–83), The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris (1975–85), The Umbrellas in Japan and California (1984–91), Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin (1972–95), The Gates in New York’s Central Park (1979–2005), The Floating Piers on Lake Iseo in Italy (2014–16), and The London Mastaba on the Serpentine Lake in London (2016–18).

Christo was born on June 13, 1935, in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. He left Bulgaria in 1956 for Prague, Czechoslovakia, and escaped to Vienna, Austria, in 1957, before moving to Geneva, Switzerland. In 1958, Christo went to Paris, where he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, who became not only his wife, but also his life partner in the creation of monumental environmental works of art. Jeanne-Claude passed away on November 18, 2009. Christo passed away on May 31, 2020, at the home and studio he shared with Jeanne-Claude in New York City since 1964.

Christo: Early Works & Unrealized Projects continues the collaboration between Christo’s Estate and Cahiers d’Art, which began in 2020, with a dedicated issue of the Cahiers d’Art Revue, Show Cases, Show Windows & Store Fronts — 1963–1966, an exhibition curated by the artist himself, presented in conjunction with the long-awaited retrospective at the Centre Pompidou, Christo and Jeanne-Claude – Paris! and the Hommage à l’Étranger series of handprints.

The exhibition is organised with the support of the estate of the artists. Proceeds will benefit both the L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped project, and the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation.

Christo: Show Cases, Show Windows & Store Fronts, 1963-1966 is also on display at Rue du Dragon until October 1, 2021. Open from 11am to 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday.