Christo

Christo was born in 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgary. He is an environmental artist known for his outdoor sculptures and displays made of fabrics and plastics. Christo attended the National Academy of Art in Sofia, and after a working period in Prague, he studied for a semester in Vienna at the Academy of Fine Art. After a brief stay in Geneva, he moved to Paris in 1958 where he met Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009). In the same year, he began working on packages and wrapped objects. In 1961, they started working together creating their first installation Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages in the harbor of Cologne. In 1964, they relocated to New York City. Among their projects, the most recognizable include: Valley Curtain (1972; Rifle Gap, Colorado), Running Fence (1976; Marin and Sonoma counties, California), Surrounded Islands (1983; Biscayne Bay, Florida), Pont Neuf (1985; Paris, France), Blue umbrellas (1991; Sato River valley, Japan), Yellow umbrellas (1991; Tejon Pass, California), Wrapped Reichstag (1995; Berlin, Germany), The Gates (1979-2005; Central Park, New York City), The floating piers (2016; Lake Iseo, Italy) and the latest project, Mastaba (2018; London, UK). Christo died in New York on May 2020.