Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The Gates

Saffron in the City
A colossal installation in New York’s Central Park
February 2005 marked the ephemeral installation of a monumental work of art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York City’s Central Park. First conceived in 1979 and rejected by New York City government in 1981, the project was approved by Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration in 2003. The work of art consisted of 7,503 16-foot-high vinyl gates with saffron-colored fabric panels on 23 miles of the park’s walkways.
Seen from the buildings surrounding the park, The Gates looked like a flowing saffron river, while those walking through them experienced the ambience of a fluid golden ceiling. Financed entirely by Christo and Jeanne-Claude through their C.V.J. Corporation, The Gates were assembled and installed by thousands of paid workers. Completed on February 12, 2005, The Gates remained in place for 16 days, after which they were removed and the materials recycled. The work of art was free for all visitors, who continued to use Central Park during the whole process.
This special Collector’s Edition documents the entire project from conception to realization. Designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, with texts by Jonathan Henery and photographs by exclusive photographer Wolfgang Volz, it is a lasting and stunning souvenir of this remarkable work of art. Each copy comes with a 24 x 24 cm (9.4 x 9.4 in.) piece of the project’s original fabric and features over 100 preparatory drawings and collages, as well as 900 important documents, engineering drawings, technical data, maps, and 1,441 photographs from 1979 to 2005.
Limited Collector’s Edition of 5,000 copies, signed and numbered by Christo and Jeanne-Claude and Wolfgang Volz, with original project fabric.