Background informations
CHRISTO passed away on May 31, 2020 at the age of 84. His last project, the wrapping of the Paris Triumphal Arch, will be realized posthumously in autumn 2021. The PalaisPopulaire in Berlin is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of the wrapping of the Reichstag with a large exhibition; At the same time, the Center Pompidou is honoring CHRISTO and Jeanne-Claude with a comprehensive retrospective of the artists' early work in Paris.
Matthias Koddenberg, art historian and long-time friend of CHRISTO and his wife and artistic partner Jeanne-Claude, who died in 2009, edited a comprehensive interview volume shortly before CHRISTO's death and in close collaboration with the artist.
Content of the book
The book is the result of numerous conversations the author has had with CHRISTO in his New York studio in recent years. In it, CHRISTO traces his escape from Bulgaria and his way to the West with rare openness. He talks about his time in Vienna and Geneva, the deprivation and at the same time vibrant life in Paris and his fateful encounter with Jeanne-Claude.
The text is accompanied by numerous archive and work images, including many unpublished and recently rediscovered works from early works.
Exhibitions
Centre Pompidou, Paris (01.07.–15.06.2020), PalaisPopulaire, Berlin (21.03.–17.08.2020)