The pair of artists were known for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations, often swaddling significant landmarks in endless amounts of fabric, such as the Reichstag in Berlin in 1995 and the Central Park Gates in 2005. The plan for the installation was revived by the City of Paris in partnership with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and the modern art museum Centre Pompidou. The 50-meter-high imperial monument, which towers over the iconic Champs-Élysées, was cloaked in 25,000 square meters of the silvery recyclable plastic wrapping, completely concealing its original 19th century arched form. ‘Wrapped’ was finally brought to life by the late Christo’s nephew, Vladimir Yavatchev, at a cost of about 14 million euros. As a young man, Christo rented a small room near the Arc de Triomphe after moving to Paris in 1958, and had been attracted to the remarkable monument ever since. Now, 60 years later, the project has finally been concretized, with this stunning series of images shot by architectural photographer Yohan Zerdoun.
