Christo

My interest in Christo dates back to the mid-’70s, when I was fortunate to present an exhibition of his work in Los Angeles and to be involved with the incredible project Running Fence (Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76), executed with Jeanne-Claude. I am thrilled now, nearly fifty years later, to partner with Christo’s estate and present his work again. These early artworks were pivotal in both the development of Christo’s vision and the history of art.
—Larry Gagosian

Gagosian Paris is pleased to announce its first exhibition dedicated to Christo, presented in collaboration with the artist’s estate. Featuring sculptures made in Paris between 1958 and 1963, many of which are being exhibited for the first time, the exhibition encompasses the earliest examples of Christo’s wrapped objects and barrel structures, together with key works from his rarely shown Surfaces d’Empaquetage and Cratères series. Opening on June 10, the exhibition unfolds across two floors of Gagosian’s rue de Ponthieu gallery, not far from Christo’s first Paris studio.

Christo moved to Paris in 1958, establishing a studio in a small maid’s room at 14 rue de Saint Sénoch in the 17th arrondissement. Here, he created his first Wrapped Objects and barrel structures, elements that became dominant in his sculptural practice. Christo found inspiration from connections with leading figures of the European and American avant-garde, including Joseph Beuys, John Cage, Nam June Paik, Pierre Restany, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. The same year, he also met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, who became his wife and creative partner, coauthoring the monumental environmental works of art that changed the way we think of public art, and with which their names became synonymous.