Temporary art installations have the power to bring people together, united in a single collective moment of curiosity or amazement. Few artists have done this better than Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The late duo remains famous worldwide for wrapping landmarks in brightly coloured fabrics. In 1985, they covered Pont Neuf, Paris’ oldest bridge, in golden cloth. Ten years later they produced the iconic Wrapped Reichstag, which blanketed Berlin’s main governmental building in 100,000 square metres of silver fabric and attracted millions of visitors.
In May 1983, 430 people helped unveil a new installation in Miami. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Surrounded Islands encir- cled 11 areas in Biscayne Bay with neon pink material. The vi- brant piece took three years to create but was on display for just 14 days. The artists designed the vibrant textile to work in har- mony with the tropical vegetation of the uninhabited location, the light of the Miami sky and the crystal blue waters of the bay.
Forty years on, NSU Art Museum has acquired the legend- ary design, meaning Surrounded Islands will return to southern Florida to find its permanent home. Gifted by the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, the gallery’s first exhibition of the work will showcase over 43 drawings, collages, photographs, engineering surveys, environmental studies, permits and cor- respondence, as well as sections of the pink fabric and scale models. Together, these items take visitors on a journey from conception to realisation and provide an insight into the creative genius of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated artistic pairs.
Surrounded Islands | NSU Art Museum | Permanent display
nsuartmuseum.org
Image credit:
1. Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83. Photo: Wolfgang Volz. Copyright: 2024 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation. Collection NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale: Gift of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation
