Christo: 80 and raring to go – www.dw.de

 Whether the world famous artist Christo feels fit on his birthday, one does not need to ask him. He is currently working on three projects simultaneously. One of them, “Floating Pears” is, just realized in Italy. The other two projects, “Over the River” in Colorado and “The Mastaba” in Abu Dhabi hold the artists on their toes. With “The Mastaba” Christ would establish its first permanent large object. Planned a colorful pyramid is without tip from 410,000 oil barrels.

 So Christ has currently a lot, but just the work consider him young, he repeatedly stressed. “He flits in Abu Dhabi the dunes up and down, because I come already out of breath,” says photographer Wolfgang Volz, who for over 40 years with the artists Christo & amp; Jeanne-Claude closely

Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Abu Dhabi

  Reveal by hiding

 Christ has taken as representative of the so-called “Land Art” together with his wife who died in 2009 Jeanne-Claude spectacular Verhüllungs- and designing actions of buildings, parks and across the country strokes in attack. In the 60s, a time of social upheaval, had “Land Art” a political dimension. It was a protest against the propertied middle. Geographical space has been transformed into a work of art that could not exhibit or possess. This idea resonates in Christos works with which he could not realize his large-scale projects without their commercialization today.

 The wrapping, concealing or disguising of objects such as cans, bottles, boxes or motorcycles has always Christos trademark. The interpretation of his art he has thereby left to others. He has things never packed beyond recognition and thus aroused the curiosity of the viewer. Everyone should see things with his own eyes. Christos biographer David Bourdon speaks of “revealing by concealing”.

” The Wall “: once politically motivated, today an aesthetic motif for many exhibitions

 The oil drums dive early in Christos Biography – veiled or stacked. So he made in 1962 with his project “wall of oil barrels – Iron Curtain” for excitement. Without permission from the authorities he blocked with a wall of 441 oil barrels Paris Rue Visconti in order to express his protest against the East German regime and the building of the Berlin Wall.

 Christ himself was a refugee from a communist country. In Sofia the Bulgarian-born Christo Vladimiroff Javacheff had studied in the fifties painting, sculpture and architecture. In 1956, he fled across the Czechoslovak border. In Paris he found the early 60s after the group of artists of the “New Realists”, the new realists. They wanted him see reality with new eyes, shake the society by integrated with new techniques and materials properties of reality into art and alienated. Parallel kept Christo with portraiture afloat. When he drew the wife of a general, he learned his daughter Jeanne-Claude know. By chance she was born the same day as he, on 13 June 1935th

  Christo & amp; Jeanne-Claude

The artist couple presents” The Umbrellas “before

Christos artistic talent added Jeanne-Claude through their organizational skills. Together they planned large-scale projects such as 1969, the concealment of part of the coast of Australia or the oversized curtain through a valley in Colorado “Valley Curtain” in the early 70s. Spectacular in the 80s the pink clad islands “Surrounded Islands” of Florida and the veiled bridge “Pont Neuf” in Paris. Spectacular also the early 90 “The Umbrellas”. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were up 3,000 blue and yellow umbrellas in California and Japan. Almost always there was first trouble with the authorities, then fascinated by the gigantic works of art to the masses.

 With Jeanne Claude Christo could get excited and argue about the joint projects. The lacked, says Wolfgang Volz. “The role now take his nephew, the filmmaker Vladimir Yavachev, and I did.” This requires the full commitment, especially Christos Slavic temper strike every now and then when things do not run so well. “In a moment, he complains on the phone so that I could hear him even without the handset from New York, but a minute later all is well again.”

  The “working family” is growing

 Wolfgang Volz appreciates the work of Christ as it was with Jeanne-Claude: “Although Christ has a worldwide reputation, I never ‘for’ the two worked, but ‘with’ them as an equal partner in this way cooperation has so long. “. What has changed over the years changed? “With the growing size of the projects ‘work family’ was different,” says Volz. “There were engineers, professional climbers and other specialists needed.”

Wolfgang Volz, the right hand of (l.) Christo and Jeanne-Claude

 Volz himself worked not only as an exclusive photographer for Christo and Jeanne-Claude, but also as a project manager. Approximately at the spectacular Wrapped Reichstag in 1995. Around 100,000 square meters of fireproof plastic were lowered on the facade of the Reichstag. Climbers spanned and tied the whole thing with kilometers of ropes. Five million people visited in two weeks then the spectacle, and marveled at the befühlten silvery glittery fabric and danced on the lawn in front of the Reichstag: A Happening. “Five million visitors in two weeks, which was a world record for a cultural event in such a short time”.

  Art for the moment

 Christos major projects are in the open, although only a short time to see, but free public and accessible to all. “The fact that she is a part of the aesthetic concept disappear. As a result, they are deeply rooted in the freedom, because freedom is the enemy of possession and possession is equivalent to durability,” Christo said in the course of work on the Berlin Reichstag. Freedom is a central concept for the former refugees. He therefore remains financially independent and finances its projects itself from the sale of sketches, smaller objects and signed photos.

 But no matter how short the works can also be seen, as long often had to wait on the respective approvals were artists. They remained persistently. Also the project “Berlin Reichstag”. From the first idea to the realization it took 23 years accompanied by considerable controversy about the symbolism of the historic building. When the Bundestag finally voted in favor of concealment that was for Christ a great moment: “Until 1989, the Reichstag was a mausoleum, a building with no future, a Sleeping Beauty The exciting thing is that we realize the project Reichstag in this moment of restructuring. and that we can demonstrate this transformation physically. “

The new project “Floating Pears” will be completed in June 2016

 Now Christo waits: In the final court decision, if he could span with plastic sheets for his project “Over the River” elf kilometer of the Arkansas River in the United States. “It’s not nice to fight only for permits,” says Wolfgang Volz. “That is why we have once again made a project in Europe, which could be realized more quickly.” The project “The Floating Pears” took a year ago concrete shape. Already in June 2016, visitors can walk among the islands of the Italian Ideosees on floating pontoons. On his birthday on June 13, Christo will be right there at the lake in northern Italy and celebrate. All party guests – how could it be otherwise – belong to the large family and work have something to do with this project

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