Artwork L'Arc de Triomphe in Paris Photo: VCG

L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, an idealistic yet concrete public art project created by the iconic European environmental art duo known as Christo and Jean-Claude, was finally revealed in Paris on Saturday. As a project that gives a bold transformative touch to Paris's iconic monument, the work does not merely belong to the French as its unique aesthetics have a connection to art lovers oversea in China, who are calling it "transcendent" for showing "respect for life."    

Starting preparation in early September, the artwork was created by wrapping 25,000 square meters of recycled silver polypropylene fabric around the entire L'Arc de Triomphe, which is 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide, and secured it with red rope. 

The self-financed project was still just a concept until this September. It was not a recent idea though, but one that was conceived by the artist couple 60 years ago.

The new installation revealed in Paris excited art lovers in China. 

"Actually, this technique has always been part of their artistic approach, but this work is the most meaningful one, because they dreamt it but never got to see it, we are seeing nothing real but a 'dream' right now," Doro Yang, a conceptual artist, told the Global Times.  

Christo Javacheff passed away in 2020, 11 years after his wife Jeanne-Claude died. When they "dream" on the project in the 60s', the visual and artistic details of the work had been foreseen. 

In an interview Christo described his wrapping collections as "sensual" living objects," explain this one that the space between concrete and fabric would allow the wind to come through to deliver a "breathable" feeling. 

The pleats of the cloth shape the work's personalities, along with the ambiguous silhouette created by covered fabric, the installation communicates with viewers by changing and challenging how we define the "everyday life." 

"Their works connect to us here because they transcend what we often do in our everyday lives. The fabric and the common action of wrapping in an artistic context, de-familiarizing the 'everyday', and giving it an art identity, making us re-think about such things' relation to us," Li Xiang, an art researcher, told the Global Times.   

Besides this latest project, the artists' previous works have also been praised by Chinese fans, even though they never brought any of their works to China. 

Wrapped Reichstag, completed in Berlin in 1995, was also the artists' attempt to interpreting newly on a nation's political symbol, in this case, the old German parliament building, an emblem of democracy, was covered in 100,000 square meters of silver fabric. The country's national flag could be seen in front of the building, swinging in the wind along with the work's 'breathable' surface. 

"Many of their works are politically and historically tinted. As environmental artists, they have worked a lot with the natural landscape and city views that people can interact with, around us. All of their projects made me see how human beings show respect for our lives," Feng Anni, a fan, told the Global Times. 

L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped was completed with support from the local government. To celebrate the work, the streets of the Place de l étoile will be closed for three weekends while the artwork is on display in order to create a roomy space for visitors. 

Like most of their works, however, the project is also temporary and will come to an end on October 3. 

Born in Bulgaria in 1935, Christo met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon in Paris in 1958. The two were "soulmates" who were not only born on the same day and the same year - June 13, 1935 - but also spent the rest of their lives together seeking the meaning of life through art. 

"The work of art is a scream of freedom," is a famous quote of Christo's that continues to encourage people until today. 

Artwork Wrapped Reichstag that was in Berlin Photo: Sina Weibo