WHAT? Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless 

WHERE? Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY

WHEN? Now until 22nd January 2024 

WHY GO? To be bowled over.  Imagine waking one morning and saying, “I’m going to wrap up the Arc de Triomphe”?  It defies all logic that such a thing should be attempted, let alone happen.  It did, though its visionary mastermind Christo, sadly died in 2020 just before his epic plan. 

This was the last of several monumental urban projects, from wrapping the Berlin Reichstag in 1995 to installing Mastaba, a sculpture of oil barrels across the Serpentine in 2018. 

Christo and his lifetime partner Jeanne-Claude collaborated artistically creating breath-taking site specific installations.  Some were seen by millions primarily the Reichstag project which drew five million visitors, others were realised but immediately dismantled for safety reasons namely their Colorado Valley project in 1972, but all were universally accepted as mega ambitious and avant-garde.  

This exhibition will undoubtedly attract a diverse audience who appreciate installation art and architecture but above all, fantasy.  The original artworks offer insight into their creative vision and a sense of how these urban projects were constructed plus the intricate planning involved. 

The mind boggles at how Christo, the master of wrapping, ever tackled his own modest Christmas gift wrapping on such a small scale! 

IN THE KNOW The Saatchi Season of Sculpture provides a platform for another exciting exhibition in tandem with Christo called, If Not Now, When?  It focuses on 29 controversial female sculptors (from 1960-2023) with exhibits from famous names such as Phyllida Barlow and Helen Chadwick. Treat yourself to a full-on art fest all in one ginormous gallery.

Check details online.