Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates Project
Receives Approval
by Kathleen Lang

The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City, Press conference, January 22nd 2003.
(Photo: Wolfgang Volz)

After many years of negotiations, New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg finally provided Christo and Jeanne-Claude permission for their latest artistic venture: The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005.

The two artists are known for their site-specific installations that wrap an architectural monument or re-define a landscape. Some of the projects in their portfolio include: The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975-85, September 1985, Wrapped Reichstag, Project for Berlin, 1979-95, June 1995, Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California 1972-76, September 1976, and The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91, October 1991.

Drawing 2002. In two parts: 65 x 15" (165 x 38 cm) and 65 x 42" (165 x 106.6 cm).
Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint and map.
(Photo: Wolfgang Volz)

The Gates project will consist of 7500 Gates, each 16 feet high with a varying width of 6-18 feet. Saffron colored fabric panels will hang down approximately 7 feet from the top portion of the gates. Each gate will be spaced at 10-15 feet intervals. The Gates will follow the edges of selected walkways located within Central Park.

As with each of their previous projects, this will be a temporary work of art and is to remain in place for only 16 days. Afterwards, it will be dismantled and all materials will be recycled.

Drawing 2003. In two parts: 96 x 42" (244 x 106.6 cm) and 96 x 15" (244 x 38 cm).
Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, technical data, aerial photograph and fabric sample.
(Photo: Wolfgang Volz)

This project will be enormous in terms of scale, cost and planning. Sometimes it can take years for the artists to obtain the required permits to carry out their plans (note the starting date of The Gates project is 1979!). And like earlier ventures, The Gates will be completely financed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude themselves; the artists receive no financial support from local governments or from corporate or private sponsorship. There are no volunteers working on the project; all workers must be paid. In order to cover the expenses for these large projects, Christo makes drawings, scale-models and preparatory studies and sells them to the public and collectors through art dealers.

Latest update from Christo and Jeanne-Claude:
"On January 3, 2005, weather permitting, our professional workers will enter Central Park. Using forklifts and pallet jacks, they will place the 15,000 steel weights bases at their specific positions on the edges of the walkways, usually at 12 foot intervals, unless there are low branches.

On Monday, February 7, 2005, weather permitting, approximately 700 non-skilled workers (in teams of 7) will elevate The Gates assemblies -- 2 vertical and one horizontal pole, the upper and lower aluminum corners and base assembly and the fabric panel in a cocoon, attached to the upper horizontal pole. The fabric panels will not initially be seen because they will be restrained in the cocoons which will remain closed until Saturday, February 12, when all the cocoons will be opened, in one day (maybe in one morning), weather permitting, as with all our projects.

The Gates will remain in Central park for 16 days, then the removal will start."

For more information:

Visit The Gates Project web site

Interested in working on The Gates Project?

The official web site for the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude