Special Exhibition, “Christo and Jeanne-Claude ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’” Photographs by Wolfgang Volz

The CREATION SPACE at ISSEY MIYAKE SEMBA presents Special Exhibition “Christo and Jeanne-Claude ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’” Photographs by Wolfgang Volz.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude transformed the scenery of urban and suburban spaces over the course of 60 years. Their work varied in form, and ranged from wrapping public buildings to surrounding islands, but the common factor in most of their grand yet ephemeral projects was the use of fabric.

“L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021,” which has been a life-long dream of the duo, finally became a reality last September when, for 16 days, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile in Paris was wrapped in recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue and red rope.

“L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped” gave a new exterior and look to the stone structure using 25,000 square meters of fabric. The fabric was responsive to wind and light, so the view of the work was never static even for an instant. Prompted by the fabric’s “alluring” qualities, viewers also appreciated the work by being able to touch its fabric.

All Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects were realized thanks to a group of people who came together as a “working family” in response to the strong vision of the two artists. Wolfgang Volz, the photographer featured in this exhibition, has been photographing the artists’ projects for over 50 years. His collaboration with the couple spanned a very long period of time, from photographing the artists’ project sites for Christo to use as a basis for creating his drawings, to documenting preparatory stages, such as negotiations and production of materials, to photographing the completed projects. In addition to being a photographer, in several occasions, Volz held the position of Project Director and he has always played a crucial role in the realization of each project.

For Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the short exhibition periods of their completed projects were also “a time to memorialize and document the work.” Once projects were completed, together with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Volz would continue to photograph them from various locations and angles.

Please enjoy viewing “L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped” as seen through the eyes of Wolfgang Volz, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s friend, life-long collaborator and most trusted photographer to document their life and their short-lived projects.