Voila! Suddenly the Arc de Triomphe Is Transformed
Bonjour mes amis,
Sunday morning, we made one last effort to find a requested piece of artwork for our friend, Sharon Tyson, at the Edgar Quinet Sunday art show near Montparnasse. Alas, it was to no avail. We did a very quick, disappointing walk-through and rushed away to get to the Arc de Triomphe for the Christo project.
We arrived about noon, and when we came up the tall escalator out of the bowels of the subway at Charles DeGaulle Etoile, this is what took our breaths away.
Bernie’s great camera was able to get some close-ups that were striking.
I was approached by two young people with badges and smiles who were circulating among the crowd as members of the Christo project. They wanted to know if we were enjoying what we saw, if we had come to Paris just for this event, and whether we knew other Americans who had done likewise. They encouraged us to be at this very spot on September 18th for the finished reveal and said they would be in costume (whatever that might be!) handing out pieces of the fabric to the general public. We will indeed be present.
I think it’s important to restate that all of this is being funded by the Christo Foundation in honor and tribute to the now-deceased artist. Not one penny of government money is being spent. The wrapping will be displayed for only two weeks.
We took a break for lunch and returned to see the progress, and it was significant. Two sides are wrapped but not finished yet with two sides to go.
How fortunate we are to always be at the right place at the right time. Hope you’ve enjoyed watching this “unfold.” Two young men at lunch were not impressed at all, one from Canada, another from Australia. I supposed it depends on your prospective and what’s meaningful to you. We absolutely loved it, and just like watching the lights on the Champs Elysées switched on for Christmas in 2019, this is something we will never forget. 
The only set of lovers I was able to find were at the flea market when returning to the apartment.
The rest of our day will be spent in preparation for company with some housekeeping in the apartment. So probably no blog tomorrow morning. We have a busy, fun week planned with Pierre and Laurie Verdier arriving by train at midday from Alsace. Our week will be heavy on calories, I fear, and we’ll push them all off onto you! Stay tuned.
L & B
P.S. There’s some great videos about this on YouTube.com
September 13, 2021 @ 9:43 am
Great to see the closeups from Bernie’s camera. I watched a minute or two on the live web cam they have set up and the workers looked as if they were trying to straighten or secure a recalcitrant fold. As I was watching, one of the workers disappeared completely behind the fabric! How lucky you and Bernie are to be on hand to see the finale! Thanks again for the great photos.
September 13, 2021 @ 12:51 pm
Fascinating for sure. And strangely beautiful. Thank you, without your blog I might not even have known of this event!
September 13, 2021 @ 12:56 pm
So glad Bernie got a closeup. Draping looks white from a distance. I didn’t realize it was an elegant silver.
September 13, 2021 @ 1:04 pm
Thanks for the action photos of the wrapping. I watched an interview about the history of Christo’s idea and all that it entails last week. Hard to believe all that effort for only a 2 week run. Surprised the Foundation reps weren’t asking for donations. Hope you have a memorable couple of weeks before your return. Will miss your daily treks.
September 13, 2021 @ 1:40 pm
Merci, Bob.
September 13, 2021 @ 1:13 pm
Spectacular. As a passionate art history buff I find this remarkable.
As a person living in a difficult and uncertain time I am still thinking about the philosophy of spending so much money for a very short term project. I know it was privately funded, but…….
Nonetheless it is still truly spectacular!
September 13, 2021 @ 1:39 pm
Bernie and I were talking about this earlier. The cost was 14 million euros which would have fed many starving people or vaccinated whole countries.
September 13, 2021 @ 1:39 pm
So exciting that you’ll be there on the 18th! Seeing the arc “unveiled” will be exciting!
September 13, 2021 @ 1:48 pm
I’m so glad you were able to see the unveiling of the “wrap”. It’s quite a sight. And yes the expense was covered by private sources, but it reminds me of the Bezos, Musk “space flights”. I’d like to think if I had those kinds of resources I would use them in a different way, but alas I don’t think we’ll ever know.
September 13, 2021 @ 7:10 pm
I’m so glad you were there to see that! It must have been quite exciting! I’m looking forward to photos of the final tie down. As for the money involved, the world would be a sad, dark place without art so we need to invest in it. Sometimes that means a lot of money and sometimes not as much money. I say, just enjoy the exhilarating experience while it lasts.
September 14, 2021 @ 4:15 am
Thanks for that perspective, Peggy!
September 14, 2021 @ 1:30 am
Fascinated by the Christo project. Thanks for your pictures.
September 14, 2021 @ 4:13 am
Merci! Are you new to my blog?
September 14, 2021 @ 11:21 am
Personally, I think it is a travesty and should never be allowed to cover such a beautiful monument no matter how short a time. Christo came to Australia many years ago and wrapped one of the heads at the entrance to Sydney Harbour. I cannot see the point in wrapping an already famous landmark. It is not art.
September 14, 2021 @ 3:28 pm
Thanks for your perspective. It seems many agree with you. Bernie was taken with the engineering factor of doing it without harming any part of the structure. Are you new to the blog?
September 14, 2021 @ 8:29 pm
I find myself agreeing with the commenters who lament the huge cost of such a project. However, I had the pleasure of seeing Christo’s The Gates in Central Park in 2005, walking through the orange flags from the 59th entrance all the way to the uppermost point in Central Park. It was an adventure over two days with my family; we even were able to snap a photo of Christo! In 1995, I happened to be visiting family in Berlin when he wrapped the Reichstag. Though the immensity of the undertaking was impressive, I found it very hard to “like” it! I do feel fortunate to have actually seen two of his monumental art happenings and I probably have more defined memories of those than the more famous and enduring arts I’ve visited.
September 15, 2021 @ 6:04 am
Janet, thanks for sharing your experiences! People seem to have a visceral reaction to Christo, one way or the other! It makes me smile when thinking about how the Louvre would not allow any of the impressionist works in their museum from some of the great masters! It’s why we all go to the Musée d’Orsay. Big mistake only gained with historical perspective.
September 17, 2021 @ 3:58 pm
I am trying to reply to Peggy’s comment on Sept. 13. I agree completely. Talking about this project in terms of money is sort of pointless. Art makes us see things from a different perspective, it sometimes changes our point of view. Wrapping is Christo’s way of elevating someone else’s creation. Art is not monolithic — it lives and breathes and changes. I also saw a shot of the wrapped Arch in the sunset light and it was golden, luminous and imprinted on my memory in a way that I can carry with me. Linda and Bernie, thank you so much for sharing this experience with us –Alabama needs to be wrapped!! lol
September 17, 2021 @ 4:09 pm
Thanks, Jeanie, for your perspective. The problem with wrapping Alabama is that half would be red and white and the other half orange and blue!