Christo and Jeanne-Claude are best known for wrapping famous buildings around the globe. Their final project, L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped was a site-specific and once-in-lifetime experience that ravished the eyes and impressed an indelible image on the memories of everyone who saw it.

Signed by the project photographer, Wolfgang Volz

In 1961, L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped was one the first public art projects that Christo conceptualised after he arrived in Paris. It remained as only a dream for 60 years until Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s latest project finally came to life. For 16 days (from 18th September until 3rd October 2021), the iconic 50-meter high triumph arch, commissioned by French ruler Napoléon Bonaparte following his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1806, was wrapped in 25,000 square meters of recyclable silvery blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 meters of red rope. As part of the installation, the large Place Charles de Gaulle road junction that surrounded the monument was temporarily pedestrianised to allow people to see the installation and touch it freely. 6 million viewers journeyed to the Place de l’Étoile to experience the most exceptional art installation of 2021. Due to Christo’s unfortunate passing in 2020, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “life-long dream” installation was carried out by his team along with the Centre des Monument Nationaux, Center Pompidou and the City of Paris.