Lot 629 D

The present work will be auctioned off in support of "Stiftung Hoffnung 1-plus - CARE für Kinder in Slums".

Together with Jeanne Claude, Christo developed the idea for the project “Over the River” in 1992. In their concept of the "Covered River", woven material would be strung high over the river and held in place by steel rods on the banks. The floating, shimmery fabric panels are translucent and depending on the light, create exciting reflections on interaction with the surface of the water. At the same time, the fabric is so transparent that depending on where one stands, you can dimly see the sky, the surrounding landscape or the course of the river.
Together with their team, the artist couple searched in the Rocky Mountains for suitable locations for the project and in 1996 chose a position on the Arkansas River in Colorado. Fabric panels would be erected in eight areas along the section between Canon City and Salida in Southern Colorado for a period of two weeks in the summer months. A total of around 10 km of fabric would be required for the route of over 67 km. Official approval procedures interrupted the planning many times delaying the project for several decades whilst the legal status as well as objections regarding animal welfare and environmental protection were considered.
In 2017 “Over the River” became a political issue as Christo announced the termination of any further planning of his temporary artwork. One possible reason was named as Donald Trump, as Christo did not wish to execute his project under Trump's political leadership. 'I use my own money and my own work and my own plans because I like to be totally free. And here now, the federal government is our landlord. They own the land. I can't do a project that benefits this landlord.' (Christo, cited in: Randy Kennedy, Christo, Trump and the Art World's Biggest Protest Yet, New York Time January 25, 2017).