Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,995
"Wrapped Reichstag"...
The idea for this probably unique art project dates back to 1971 - that's when the world-renowned artist couple Christo Vladimirov Javashev and his wife Jeanne-Claude...
...thinks about the idea of enclosing the historic Berlin Reichstag building built by Paul Wallot between 1884 and 1886 for the first time...:
But the German politicians could not do anything with this idea - and it was a difficult road for Christo to realize it.
From 1978, the year in which a "Reichstag Project" board of trustees was founded, to February 25, 1994, when the German Bundestag gave the "green light" for implementation with 292 to 223 votes, there were a total of 33 rounds of negotiations between the artist couple and the Bundestag administration, the Bundestag presidium and the chairmen of the parliamentary groups.
Christo had to have an exact scale model built...
...and have this approved as well as every detail of the cover, including the silvery shimmering fabric...:
The building owner set a strict condition:
The art campaign was only allowed to take place between the last session of the Bundestag in the Reichstag on December 2, 1994 and the scheduled start of the core renovation and conversion of the building into its current form as the parliament building of reunified Germany - and this conversion start was scheduled for autumn 1995!
Christo and Jeanne-Claude carried out almost military-like planning work:
When the parliamentary session was over, the preparatory work began - the more than 200 ton steel substructure for the huge panels was erected...:
When these works were finished, 90 artists hired by Christo began the wrapping action itself...:
On June 24, 1995, the Reichstag was completely covered...:
It was THE cultural event of the decade in Berlin (and Europe!) and was admired by millions of people. Over 500,000 came on the last day alone!
Incidentally, the artist couple bore the costs of more than 13 million DM out of their own pockets - but were able to refinance a significant part through the sale of merchandising projects and after dismantling parts of the covering material.
The work of art "Wrapped Reichstag" was only available for two weeks!
On July 7, 1995, dismantling began again...
Sadly, Hristo Vladimirov Javashev, the creator of this wonderful art project, passed away in New York on May 31 of this year, and his wife also died in New York on November 18, 2009...
The idea for this probably unique art project dates back to 1971 - that's when the world-renowned artist couple Christo Vladimirov Javashev and his wife Jeanne-Claude...
...thinks about the idea of enclosing the historic Berlin Reichstag building built by Paul Wallot between 1884 and 1886 for the first time...:
But the German politicians could not do anything with this idea - and it was a difficult road for Christo to realize it.
From 1978, the year in which a "Reichstag Project" board of trustees was founded, to February 25, 1994, when the German Bundestag gave the "green light" for implementation with 292 to 223 votes, there were a total of 33 rounds of negotiations between the artist couple and the Bundestag administration, the Bundestag presidium and the chairmen of the parliamentary groups.
Christo had to have an exact scale model built...
...and have this approved as well as every detail of the cover, including the silvery shimmering fabric...:
The building owner set a strict condition:
The art campaign was only allowed to take place between the last session of the Bundestag in the Reichstag on December 2, 1994 and the scheduled start of the core renovation and conversion of the building into its current form as the parliament building of reunified Germany - and this conversion start was scheduled for autumn 1995!
Christo and Jeanne-Claude carried out almost military-like planning work:
When the parliamentary session was over, the preparatory work began - the more than 200 ton steel substructure for the huge panels was erected...:
When these works were finished, 90 artists hired by Christo began the wrapping action itself...:
On June 24, 1995, the Reichstag was completely covered...:
It was THE cultural event of the decade in Berlin (and Europe!) and was admired by millions of people. Over 500,000 came on the last day alone!
Incidentally, the artist couple bore the costs of more than 13 million DM out of their own pockets - but were able to refinance a significant part through the sale of merchandising projects and after dismantling parts of the covering material.
The work of art "Wrapped Reichstag" was only available for two weeks!
On July 7, 1995, dismantling began again...
Sadly, Hristo Vladimirov Javashev, the creator of this wonderful art project, passed away in New York on May 31 of this year, and his wife also died in New York on November 18, 2009...
