Christo's lost 'cloud' installation to be realized at Gagosian London
A monumental installation by Christo, conceived in 1968 but never built, will be realized for the first time at Gagosian London from 21 May to 21 August. Titled Package on a Ceiling, the work was originally designed for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia but was abandoned due to technical constraints. The project was revived after a detailed scale model and drawings were discovered in 2018 hidden inside a plinth in Christo's studio by his studio manager Lorenza Giovanelli. The piece will fill a 16-metre-long, 10-metre-wide space, descending to just above head height, and will be internally lit to resemble a cloud. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation and will include other works on the theme of air. Christo, known for wrapping the Reichstag and the Pont Neuf, died in 2020. His nephew Vladimir Yavachev confirmed the precision of the drawings and model.
Key facts
- Package on a Ceiling was conceived in 1968 for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia.
- The scale model and drawings were discovered in 2018 by Lorenza Giovanelli inside a plinth in Christo's studio.
- The installation will be 16 metres long and 10 metres wide, descending to just above head height.
- The work will be internally lit to resemble a cloud.
- The exhibition runs from 21 May to 21 August at Gagosian London, 20 Grosvenor Hill, W1.
- The project is a collaboration with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation.
- Christo died in 2020; his nephew Vladimir Yavachev is involved in the realization.
- The exhibition will include other works on the theme of air.
Entities
Artists
- Christo
- Jeanne-Claude
Institutions
- Gagosian London
- Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation
- Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Philadelphia
- United States
- 20 Grosvenor Hill, London W1