Meet the Artists | Christo and Jeanne-Claude | Surrounded Islands

In 1980, Christo and his wife and long-standing collaborator Jeanne-Claude embarked on a project that many thought would never see the light of day. For Surrounded Islands, the couple set out to ring 11 human-made islands in Miami’s Biscayne Bay with 6.5 million square feet of floating, bright pink, woven polypropylene fabric. After an arduous preparation phase – and thanks to the efforts of a 430-strong task force – the installation was finally completed on May 7, 1983. Surrounded Islands lasted only two weeks, but it has had a sustainable impact on the city’s cultural history, and is considered by many as a milestone in Miami’s renaissance.

Thirty-five years later, Art Basel met Christo at Pelican Harbor Marina, the site of Surrounded Islands’ former HQ. In this exclusive interview, the artist revisits the three-year-long process that landed him in court – and led to Florida’s most celebrated art installation.

Christo was in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist during Art Basel Miami Beach’s 2018 Conversation program. You can watch the full talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogUl7vrWiTM&t=219s. He is represented by Pace Gallery.

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