Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City

Mar 7

Written By DAB

Exhibition on view:
February 12th – March 23rd, 2025

Presented by:
The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation
The Shed

Supported by:
Bloomberg Philanthropes

Location:
The Shed
545 W 30th St
New York, NY

Yesterday, I had the chance to experience an exhibition that perfectly brings together art, history, and technology, and it was such a treat. It’s called Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City, and it’s currently running at The Shed.

The show marks 20 years since The Gates transformed Central Park in 2005, filling it with 7,503 vibrant saffron gates. The exhibition brings that momentous project back to life, but with a twist — it includes an incredible augmented reality (AR) component, along with a mobile app to make the experience even more engaging.

The moment I stepped into the exhibition, I was greeted by a mix of original sketches, drawings, and photos documenting The Gates project. It’s amazing to think about how something so simple, like saffron-colored poles and fabric, could have such a huge impact on how we see public spaces.

For those of us who weren’t able to experience The Gates in person, (like myself, who was an 11-year-old living in Istanbul), this exhibition fills in the gaps, showing the work’s creative process and journey. The AR feature really stood out — using the tablets provided, you could interact with a digital model of The Gates, which allowed me to see the installation spread out across Central Park, exactly where it once stood. The technology behind it all made it feel as if I was standing right in the middle of the artwork again.

What I loved about the AR experience is that it becomes part of the evolving story. It gives visitors an interactive way to understand the scale and impact of the project. That’s a big reason why exhibitions like this are so important — incorporating new technologies like AR is a great way to engage younger generations. It’s a tool that brings the artwork to life in ways that traditional displays sometimes can’t. Plus, it makes the exhibition feel less like a passive experience and more like something you’re actively participating in.

The exhibition’s innovative approach doesn’t end there. The Bloomberg Connects app becomes the perfect companion to the exhibition. It provides a wealth of information, acting as a digital guide that walks you through the entire experience. The app is packed with facts, audio, and video content that explains the significance of each piece in the exhibition, giving you deeper insight into Christo and Jeanne-Claude's artistic process.

Whether you’re exploring the original sketches or engaging with the augmented reality experience, the app adds layers of context, making sure you don’t miss any of the hidden stories or details behind their iconic projects. It’s like having a personal tour guide right in your pocket!

The exhibition also included Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s unrealized projects, giving a rare glimpse into their ambitious plans for New York City that never came to fruition. Seeing these sketches and digital recreations was a reminder of how much they imagined and how their ideas continue to shape the art world.

For me, the combination of physical artwork and tech-based engagement made the exhibition so much more interesting. It felt like a conversation between past and present, where the art was just as much about what’s possible with new tools as it was about the artists’ creative vision. It’s exciting to see more and more shows integrate these digital elements, and it really makes the experience more accessible and engaging for a wider audience.

If you get the chance to visit, definitely download the Bloomberg Connects app and look into the AR experience. It’s one of those exhibitions that shows how art can evolve with technology while still staying true to its roots.

About Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude were born on the same day: June 13, 1935—he in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, and she in Casablanca, Morocco. Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009, and Christo died in 2020, both in New York City, where they had moved in 1964. Christo and Jeanne-Claude realized monumental projects around the world, including Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Sydney, 1968–69; Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76; Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980–83; The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975–85; The Umbrellas, Japan–USA, 1984–91; Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95; The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005; The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014–16; The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, 2016–18; and L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961–2021.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude worked together since their first outdoor temporary work of art: Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, Germany, 1961. Before he escaped to the West, Christo studied painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts at the National Academy of Art in Sofia for four years. All early works, such as Wrapped Cans, Wrapped Oil Barrels, Packages, Wrapped Objects, and Store Fronts, as well as all preparatory drawings, collages, and scale models are works by Christo only. All public projects and indoor installations, both realized and unrealized, are collaborative works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.