Christo, artist known for massive, fleeting displays, dies

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Along with late wife Jeanne-Claude, the artists’ careers were defined by their ambitious art proMects that quickly disappeared soon after they were erectedthat andoften involved wrapping large structures in fabric. In , he installed more than , saffron-colored vinyl gates in 1ew

million 8mbrellas proMect erected1, blue umbrellas installed in Japan and 1, blue umbrellas in Southern California in 1991. They also wrapped the 3ont 1euf in 3aris, the .unsthalle in Bern, Switzerland and a Roman wall in Italy.

The statement said the artist’s ne[t proMect, L’Arc de Triomphe, :rapped, is slated to appear in September in 3aris as planned. An e[hibition about Christo and JeanneClaude’s work is also scheduled to run from July through October at the Centre *eorges 3ompidou.

“Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it,” his office said in a statement. “Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared e[periences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories.”

Born in Bulgaria in 19 , Christo Vladimirov Javacheff studied at the )ine Arts Academy in Sofia before moving to 3rague in 19 , then Vienna, then *eneva. It was in 3aris in 19 8 where he met JeanneClaude Denat de *uillebon. They were born on the same day June 1 in the same year 19 , and, according to him, “In the same moment” and would become partners in life and art.

The pair moved to 1ew

The year 19 8 would prove pivotal for the couple with three endeavors :rapped )ountain :rapped Medieval Tower and :rapped .unsthalle. The ne[t year brought :rapped Coast, which involved 1 million square feet of fabric and miles of rope across a 1. mile long section of the Australian coastline, and the wrapping of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.