Christo and Jeanne-Claude: 90 Years Iconic Duo

Published in Unique Estates Life Spring Issue 2025

Beyond their artistic taste and worldview, Christo and Jeanne-Claude even shared the same birthday. The only difference lay in their birthplace – Christo was born as Christo Javacheff in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, while Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was born in Casablanca, Morocco. If they were alive today, both would have turned ninety on June 13 this year. To mark the occasion, the foundation that bears their names and manages their artistic legacy from New York is presenting three of their most iconic projects, each celebrating its own anniversary – the 20th anniversary of The Gates in New York, the 30th anniversary of Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin this June, and the 40th anniversary of The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris this September.

New York

The city that never sleeps has once again awakened the magic of one of the duo’s most famous projects – The Gates. Since early February, a large-scale augmented reality experience has allowed visitors to relive The Gates in Central Park, available via the Bloomberg Connects app. At the same time, the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City at The Shed showcases the artists’ deep admiration for their beloved city.

Paris

From September 22 to October 5, 1985, with the expertise of 12 engineers and 300 specialized workers, Paris’s oldest bridge was wrapped in 41,800 square meters of fabric, fastened with 13 kilometers of rope and 12 tons of steel cables. Forty years later, acclaimed artist and photographer JR, working closely with Christo’s nephew Vladimir Javacheff, will present a project in the French capital inspired by the monumental wrapping of the Pont Neuf. Scheduled for September, the installation will transform the bridge into a vast cave in the city center for two weeks. JR’s project envisions large rock formations temporarily occupying both banks of the Seine, reshaping the appearance of one of Paris’s most beloved landmarks both by day and by night.

Germany

The Würth Museum in Künzelsau is hosting the exhibition “Wrapped, Tied, Stacked – Christo and Jeanne-Claude”, which features sketches, drawings, and photographs of projects realized by the artistic duo over six decades. Among them is one of their most recognizable works – Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin. The museum also presents 120 original collages, drawings, models, photographs, and videos from the Würth Collection – one of the largest holdings of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s works worldwide. The exhibition ambitiously seeks to encompass all phases of their creative journey and will remain open until January 25, 2026.