The Iron Curtain: Christo and Jeanne-Claude

William Middleton | Gagosian Quarterly | 12th August 2022

A reminiscence. In 1962, Christo and Jeanne-Claude used discarded oil barrels to block off the tiny rue Visconti in Paris. Police dismantled it after just seven hours but it was an indicator of the bigger projects to come. Their barrels were intended to confront, creating a tension between viewer and environment. Concealment was also part of this work, as was its modular elements and its temporary nature. Like all their works, it was intended as a “gentle disturbance”.