Christo: Wrapped 1961 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon, 1963 - 2014 / Gagosian at Art Basel 2024 Unlimited
- 5 days ago
Christo: Wrapped 1961 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon, 1963 - 2014 / Gagosian at Art Basel 2024 Unlimited. Basel (Switzerland), June 13, 2024.
Official description:
In February 1963, on the occasion of Christo’s solo exhibition at Galerie Schmela in Düsseldorf, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped a Volkswagen Beetle. The vehicle, used for the sculpture, was lent by Claus Harden, a colleague of German advertising guru and filmmaker Charles Wilp. Wrapped Car (Volkswagen), 1963, only existed for a short time as Harden requested that the car be returned to him in its unwrapped, original state.
In 2013, regretting its loss, Christo decided to recreate the original work of art. After purchasing a mint-colored 1961 Volkswagen Beetle – the identical model he and Jeanne-Claude used over 50 years earlier – Christo had the fluids removed from the vehicle and had it mounted on casters. In 2014, Christo wrapped the car, thereby creating Wrapped 1961 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon, now presented at Unlimited 2024.
Christo (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, born 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria; died 2020 in New York) was an artist who expanded the possibilities of artistic scale and dramatically – but temporarily – transformed familiar landscapes. He worked collaboratively with his wife Jeanne-Claude from 1961 until her death in 2009.
Official description:
In February 1963, on the occasion of Christo’s solo exhibition at Galerie Schmela in Düsseldorf, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped a Volkswagen Beetle. The vehicle, used for the sculpture, was lent by Claus Harden, a colleague of German advertising guru and filmmaker Charles Wilp. Wrapped Car (Volkswagen), 1963, only existed for a short time as Harden requested that the car be returned to him in its unwrapped, original state.
In 2013, regretting its loss, Christo decided to recreate the original work of art. After purchasing a mint-colored 1961 Volkswagen Beetle – the identical model he and Jeanne-Claude used over 50 years earlier – Christo had the fluids removed from the vehicle and had it mounted on casters. In 2014, Christo wrapped the car, thereby creating Wrapped 1961 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon, now presented at Unlimited 2024.
Christo (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, born 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria; died 2020 in New York) was an artist who expanded the possibilities of artistic scale and dramatically – but temporarily – transformed familiar landscapes. He worked collaboratively with his wife Jeanne-Claude from 1961 until her death in 2009.