Kvadrat 500, Hall 24
Opening on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, at 6 p. m.
The National Gallery (Sofia, Bulgaria) is opening its first exhibition dedicated to the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, marking the 90th anniversary of the artists’ birth. The museum’s first acquisition of Christo’s iconic work Wrapped Reichstag (Project for Berlin) from 1986, along other original collages, will be officially presented to the public. Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971-95 will be on view from November 4th, 2025, to March 22nd, 2026.
The realization of this monumental project spanned a total of 24 years, during which Christo and Jeanne-Claude completed eight other projects, also featured in the exhibition. These include The Gates, Central Park, New York City (1979–2005); The Umbrellas, Japan–USA (1984–91); The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris (1975–85); Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida (1980–83); Wrapped Walk Ways, Jacob Loose Memorial Park, Kansas City, Missouri (1977–78); Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California (1972–76); Ocean Front, Newport, Rhode Island (1974); The Wall – Wrapped Roman Wall, Via Veneto and Villa Borghese, Rome, Italy (1973–74); and Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado (1970–72).
The archival video materials, photographs, and documents from the wrapping of the Reichstag—an enduring symbol of democracy—provide a unique historical insight into the realization of this remarkable project.
With this exhibition, the National Gallery also commemorates three major anniversaries of the artists’ visionary projects celebrated in 2025: 20 years since The Gates in New York City, 30 years since Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin and 40 years since The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris. These milestones represent not only significant moments in the artistic journey of Christo and Jeanne-Claude but also landmark events that transformed the cultural history of Europe.
« Christo and Jeanne-Claude always referred to their projects as a scream for freedom. Coming from communist Bulgaria Christo would not make any concessions at any cost to go back on that freedom. More than in any other project that is relevant in the Wrapped Reichstag», reminds Vladimir Yavachev, nephew and director of projects of the artist couple. « The mission of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation is to promote their vision, it is essential that their legacy finds its place also in Sofia, as it does in the world’s major capitals that are paying tribute to them in this year marking the 90th anniversary of their birth. I thank the National Gallery in Sofia for making this acquisition and exhibition possible, and we hope that it will be the first of many more in Sofia and Bulgaria. »
The exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95, curated by Gergana Mihova (National Gallery), is a collaboration between the National Gallery and the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation. The opening of the exhibition Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971-95 will take place on November 4th at 6PM and the Institut français de Bulgarie, Goethe Institut Bulgaria, SOF Connect and BTA / Bulgarian News Agency are partners of the show.
High resolutions visuals can be downloaded on this press space https://christojeanneclaude.net/press/national-gallery-sofia/
About Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Marie Denat were born on 13 June, 1935 respectively in Gabrovo (Bulgaria) and Casablanca (Morocco).
Christo studied under the Communist regime at the National Academy of Art, Sofia, from 1952 to 1956, when he fled Bulgaria. His escape to the West took him through Prague and Vienna before relocating to Geneva. In 1958 he finally moved to Paris, where he met Jeanne-Claude, who became his wife and his life partner in the creation of large-scale environmental artworks. Jeanne-Claude passed away on 18 November, 2009. Christo died on 31 May, 2020 in New York City, where he lived for 56 years.
From early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork transcended the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture, and architecture. Some of their work included Wrapped Coast near Sydney (1968–69), Valley Curtain in Colorado (1970–72), Running Fence in California (1972–76), Surrounded Islands in Miami (1980–83), The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris (1975–85), The Umbrellas in Japan and California (1984–91), Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin (1972–95), The Gates in New York’s Central Park (1979–2005), The Floating Piers at Italy’s Lake Iseo (2014–16), The London Mastaba in London (2016–18), and L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped in Paris (1961–2021).
