21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

Christo and Jeanne-Claude at their home in SoHo, New York City, September 26, 2004
(Photo: Wolfgang Volz ©2004 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation)

Christo was born on June 13, 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. He left Bulgaria in 1956, first to Prague, Czechoslovakia, and then escaped to Vienna, Austria, in 1957, then moved to Geneva, Switzerland. In 1958, Christo went to Paris, where he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, who became not only his wife but life partner in the creation of monumental environmental works of art. Jeanne-Claude passed away on November 18, 2009. Christo died on May 31, 2020 at his home in New York City, where he lived for 56 years.

From early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's artwork transcended the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture, and architecture. Some of their work included "Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, 1968–69," "Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970–72," "Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76," "Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980–83," "The Pont Neuf, Wrapped, Paris, 1975–85," "The Umbrellas, Japan and USA, 1984–91," "Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95," "The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005," "The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014–16," "The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, 2016–18."

At 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Christo visited Japan for the special exhibition "Christo and Jeanne-Claude: LIFE=WORKS=PROJECTS" (2010), and appeared at several talk events. In the exhibition "GRAND PROJECTS: HOW FAR WILL YOU GO?" (2017), "The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014–16" was presented in a video and drawings.