Action artist Christo died last Sunday (May 31, 2020) at the age of 84 in his home in New York. That would on the official Twitter account of the artist and his wife Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009), who died in 2009. He would have been 85 on June 13. The Bulgarian-American action artist became world-famous for his veiling art. Among other things, he made the German Reichstag building ("Wrapped Reichstag") disappear under a white cover made of polypropylene fabric. He planned the work together with his wife, with whom he always worked closely, from 1971 to its completion in 1995.
The artist, born in Bulgaria in 1935, full name Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, studied art in Sofia, then lived in Paris and later moved to the USA. His most famous works include the saffron-colored gates in New York's Central Park ("The Gates") and the floating jetties on the water of Lake Iseo in Lombardy ("Floating Piers"). "Christo and Jeanne-Claude have always emphasized that their artworks, which are still in work, will continue after their death," says Twitter. The wrapping plant at L'Arc de Triomphe in Paris is therefore announced for the period from September 18 to October 3, 2021.
Federal government pays tribute to Christo
Minister of Culture Monika Grütters (58) described Christo in a communication late Sunday evening as "one of the greatest artists of our time." Through his art of veiling, he taught people around the world to "see new and sharper." Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (53) emphasized that Christo and his late wife "have enriched our world with art".