KCR Autumn 2023 FINAL low res - Flipbook - Page 22
Christo & Jeanne-Claude : Boundless
As part of its Season of Sculpture, Saatchi Gallery announces an upcoming co-headline Winter exhibition, showcasing the largest
retrospective of the renowned artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude ever in the UK. Titled Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless the exhibition
traces their artistic journey, from experimental beginnings in Paris across six decades of collaboration. The exhibition showcases rarely-seen works
and o昀ers a glimpse into future projects to be undertaken by the estate of the artists.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless introduces visitors to the couple9s seminal projects, ranging from their early collaborations to monumental masterpieces, among them Wrapped Coast in Australia (1969), Surrounded Islands (1983) in Miami/Florida, The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris
(1985), The Umbrellas (1991), installed simultaneously in Japan and the USA, The Gates in Central Park, New York City (2005) and The Floating
Piers at Lake Iseo in Italy (2016). It also includes the perspective The Mastaba, a project for Abu Dhabi. This exhibition is the last to ever be signed
o昀 by Christo before his death and is divided into ten thematic chapters.
The exhibition reveals a story of love and artistic collaboration between Christo and Jeanne-Claude, celebrating their artistic synergy and profound
connection, contextualised alongside their artistic contemporaries, including Jean Dubu昀et, Yves Klein, and Lucio Fontana. Boundless unveils a
vivid narrative of passionate determination, highlighting the couple9s refusal to be con昀ned by traditional norms and how this distinctive approach,
fuelled their creative vision and shaped their artistic journey.
Jeanne-Claude9s gift for communication and her tenacity became the driving force in realising projects, often over the course of decades. It was essential to their artistic ethos that their ambitious installations were funded independently. The exhibition showcases how drawings, sketches, prints,
and collages were transformed into valuable currency, providing the foundation for realising their larger-than-life visions.
A climactic juncture in their journey is showcased through the breathtaking wrapping of the Berlin Reichstag in 1995 and the Arc de Triomphe in
Paris in 2021. These monumental achievements embody their daring and creative prowess, demonstrating their ability to transform public spaces
into artistic canvases.
Journey through the unrealised dreams that shaped their legacy, with insight into The Mastaba (project for Abu Dhabi), which will be an enduring
monument to the couple9s boundless creativity. Larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza, this visionary concept stands as a testament to the enduring
impact of Christo and Jeanne-Claude9s expression and drive.
The exhibition was conceived and curated by Kay Heymer, together with co-curator Sophie-Marie Sümmermann and was 昀rst shown at Kunstpalast,
Düsseldorf. Alongside Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the following artists are represented in the exhibition: Arman, Alberto Burri, César, Jean Dubuffet, Lucio Fontana, Raymond Hains, Yves Klein, Jacques Mahé de la Villeglé, Piero Manzoni, Arnulf Rainer, Niki de Saint Phalle, Daniel Spoerri,
Antoni Tàpies, Jean Tinguely and Wolf Vostell.
Lorenza Giovanelli, representative of the artists9 estate: