June 19, 2016

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, June 18 – July 3, 2016 (weather permitting)

For sixteen days, Italy’s Lake Iseo is being reimagined. 100,000 square meters of shimmering yellow fabric, carried by a modular floating dock system of 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes, undulate with the movement of the waves as The Floating Piers rise just above the surface of the water. Visitors can experience this work of art by walking on it from Sulzano to Monte Isola and to the island of San Paolo, which is framed by The Floating Piers. The mountains surrounding the lake offer a bird’s-eye view of The Floating Piers, exposing unnoticed angles and altering perspectives. Lake Iseo is located 100 kilometers east of Milan and 200 kilometers west of Venice.

“Those who experience The Floating Piers will feel like they are walking on water – or perhaps the back of a whale,” said Christo. “The light and water will transform the bright yellow fabric to shades of red and gold throughout the sixteen days.”

The Floating Piers - Christo in his studio working on a preparatory drawing for The Floating Piers, New York, November 2015

Christo in his studio working on a preparatory drawing for The Floating Piers, New York, November 2015. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2015 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy)

Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Collage, 2014, 17 x 22″ (43.2 x 55.9 cm. Pencil, wax crayon, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, map, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2014 Christo

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Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Collage, 2014, 15 1/4 x 13 7/8″ (38.7 x 35.2 cm). Pencil, wax crayon, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, technical data, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2014 Christo

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Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Collage, 2014, 22 x 17″ (55.9 x 43.2 cm). Pencil, wax crayon, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, technical maps, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2014 Christo

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Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Drawing, 2014, 65 x 15″ and 65 x 42″ (165 x 38 cm and 165 x 106.6 cm). Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint, cut-out photographs by Wolfgang Volz, topographic map, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2014 Christo

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Christ, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Drawing, 2014, in two parts, 15 x 96″ and 42 x 96″ (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm). Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint, hand-drawn map, cut-out photographs by Wolfgang Volz, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2014 Christo

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Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Collage, 2015, 11 x 8 1/2″ (28 x 21.5 cm). Pencil, wax crayon, enamel paint, photograph by Wolfgang Volz, aerial photograph and fabric sample. Photo: André Grossmann © 2015 Christo

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Christo, The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy). Drawing, 2015, in two parts, 65 x 42″ and 65 x 15″ (165 x 106.6 cm and 165 x 38 cm). Pencil, charcoal, enamel paint, cut-out photographs by Wolfgang Volz, map, fabric sample and tape. Photo: André Grossmann © 2015 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. The fabric-covered streets of Sulzano. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

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Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16-5

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16-5

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

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Christo and Jeanne-Claud, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16-7

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

The Floating Piers - The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16-4

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Floating Piers, Lake Iseo, Italy, 2014-16. Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2016 Christo

“Like all of our projects, The Floating Piers is absolutely free and accessible 24 hours a day, weather permitting,” said Christo. “There are no tickets, no openings, no reservations and no owners. The Floating Piers are an extension of the street and belong to everyone.”