Wrapped Reichstag

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Wrapped Reichstag
Christo and Jeanne-Claude , 1971–1995
Art project
Reichstag building , Berlin

Link to the picture
(please note copyrights )

The Wrapped Reichstag (English original title: Wrapped Reichstag ) was an art project by the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude . As part of the project, the realization of which lasted from 1971 to 1995, the Reichstag building in Berlin was completely covered with an aluminum- coated polypropylene fabric from June 24 to July 7, 1995 . The wrapping of the Reichstag is one of the most famous works for art in public space .

Early suggestions

In an interview conducted by Masahiko Yanagi in 1986, Christo said : “First of all, I had a special interest in Germany because I had my first solo exhibition in Cologne in 1961, and since 1958 there have been many collectors, museum people, critics and friends in Germany who are interested in are interested in my work. [… And] between 1970 and 1972 a number of drawings were made for a 40-kilometer-long fabric fence in West Berlin that was supposed to run along the wall and hide it from view. ”Also the fact that the Reichstag could be seen from both East and West Berlin Christo found it motivating and was able to represent a connecting moment during the Cold War . He then saw the fall of the wall as a greater opportunity, since after the “slumbering slumber” of the Reichstag, the project could now “become an expression of hope and democratic conviction”.

Realization history

Planning and preparation

Reichstag building (with the glass dome added later)

In 1971, Christo received a postcard from the Berlin-based American Michael S. Cullen of the Reichstag building with the suggestion that it should be covered. The artists showed interest and asked Cullen to deal with obtaining the necessary permits. In 1972 Christo made the first collage for the Wrapped Reichstag project . At first, however, the project did not progress and it was not until 1976 that Christo personally inspected the building. At least there was a conversation with Annemarie Renger, President of the Bundestag . Further meetings with German politicians took place in 1977, but the incumbent President of the Bundestag, Karl Carstens , rejected the project.

In 1978 a “Board of Trustees for the Reichstag Project” was formed in Hamburg, and Christo's further visits to Germany followed. In 1980 Walter Scheel promised to speak to the next President of the Bundestag Richard Stücklen . But this also declined a year later. On October 4, 1981, Willy Brandt visited Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York and thereby broadened the “approval basis”, but the following President of the Bundestag, Rainer Barzel , who was not against the project, had to resign shortly before the decision. The mayor of Berlin, Eberhard Diepgen , who ruled in 1986 , also visited the artists in New York, but a year later, when he received 70,000 approving signatures from Berliners, the Bundestag President Philipp Jenninger rejected the project for the third time. The Wall fell in 1989, Germany was reunified in 1990, and now the general atmosphere of optimism also seemed to inspire unusual ideas: The new President of the Bundestag , Rita Süssmuth , offered her support in a letter to Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1991.

Christo's visits to Germany nos. 22 to 35 followed in 1992 and 1993 - quote from Christo's report: “A scale model of the wrapped Reichstag will be set up in the Reichstag and later in the lobby of the Bundestag in Bonn. A long and arduous lobbying begins. Wolfgang and Sylvia Volz as well as Michael S. Cullen arrange appointments for Christo and Jeanne-Claude with hundreds of MPs, all of whom are visited individually in their offices. "

The team for the implementation of the project at that time consisted of Christo, Jeanne-Claude, Mike Cullen and three other friends. To be mobile in Berlin, they set up an office in a minibus, from which the work was coordinated.

On February 25, 1994, the Bundestag gave its approval for the Wrapped Reichstag project “after a passionate debate” . Comment: "It is the first time in history that the future existence of a work of art is debated and voted in a parliament." The MPs decided with 292 to 223 votes for the implementation.

Result of the Bundestag vote on February 25, 1994
Political party Therefore On the other hand abstention
CDU / CSU 77 184 5
SPD 162 17th 1
FDP 35 20th 2
PDS 11 0 0
Green 6th 0 1
Non-attached 1 2 0
total 292 223 9
56% 43% 2%

The last event before the planned conversion of the Reichstag to its new use for the plenary sessions of the Bundestag took place on December 2, 1994. At the end of May 1995, the preparations for the construction work were completed. After the vote on February 25, 1994, the artists had been given a time limit for their art campaign: “'We want our project to take place immediately before the first cranes and bulldozers arrive,' said Christo, referring to the planned renovation work. 'We want to cover this Reichstag - not another Reichstag - at this unique moment.' ”The subsequent renovation lasted until April 1999.

implementation

Steel substructure over which the fabric webs are guided
Steel girders on the floor for anchoring the fabric panels
The Reichstag building during the preparation of the action

After receiving the approval, the Verhüllter Reichstag GmbH was founded, through which all business was carried out from then on. The posts of commercial and technical manager were assigned, lawyers hired and an engineering office commissioned with the technical implementation. Then a total of ten companies were selected to manufacture and supply the materials.

Since Christo and Jeanne-Claude themselves create "the aesthetic climate in which the public can understand and receive their work", the biographer Jacob Baal-Teshuva believes that "technical and statistical details are essential for their projects" ; As a comparison he cites rock music and postmodern art in general , for which thematic and content-related questions are often more important than stylistic ones . For this reason, the history and technical details of the Wrapped Reichstag project are of particular importance. In total, the artists needed 109,400 m² of polypropylene fabric woven by the German company Schilgen and steamed with aluminum by ROWO Coating , 15,600 meters of blue polypropylene rope and 200 tons of steel for the substructure.

Since the process of wrapping itself was part of the work of art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude were against using cranes , lifting platforms or scaffolding from the start. They wanted the veiling work to be done by humans. That's why 90 professional climbers were hired to do this job.

After numerous hours of intensive work and a few minor mishaps and problems, the wrapping was completed on June 24, 1995. The $ 13 million work of art was viewed by 500,000 visitors on the last day alone, according to police reports. Dismantling finally began on July 7th. In total, around five million people visited the work of art in the two weeks of its existence. After dismantling, all of the wrapping material was recycled as announced.

Working material fabric

Fabric material with which the Reichstag was wrapped
(sample, 5 × 5 cm)

In the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, special attention must be paid to the working material material . Christo wrote in a press release on the Wrapped Reichstag project: “Throughout the history of art , fabrics and fabrics have fascinated artists. From the oldest evidence of the visual arts to contemporary art, the structure of fabrics - folds , pleated blinds , draperies - is an important part of paintings , frescoes , reliefs and sculptures made of wood, stone and bronze. The wrapping of the Reichstag with strips of fabric follows this classic tradition. Fabric panels - like clothing or skin - have something delicate and sensitive about them, they illustrate the unique quality of the ephemeral. ”The fabric also integrates nature into the work of art, as the wind changes the folds and the metallic surface reflects the color of the sky .

Reception and interpretation

With the Veiled Reichstag project, Christo and Jeanne-Claude created a work of art that, in addition to its aesthetic value, also had enormous socio-political potential. After the fall of the Wall, the veiled Reichstag illustrated the progressive thinking of Berliners, as it attacked traditional values ​​such as humility in front of historically important buildings in an impressive, artistic way and thus embodied the prime example of a new beginning.

Christo explained the importance of the temporary character:

“Nobody can buy these projects, nobody can own them, nobody can commercialize them, nobody can charge admission to view them - we don't even own these works. Our work is about freedom , and freedom is the enemy of all possession, and possession equals duration. That is why the work cannot last. "

- Christ

The artists rebel against the marketing of art. While the works of most artists can be acquired and owned, the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is only ever temporary and can be viewed free of charge and without barriers by anyone who has the leisure.

The non-attached MP Ulrich Briefs summed up the importance of the project for Germany during the debate before the vote: "The veiling is at least - this is the value it has - a spectacular action against national and other German philistineism." Freimut Duve from the SPD added: “Let us prove this new German, democratic serenity with a large symbol for 14 days. Then we go to the converted Reichstag with great pleasure and with great seriousness ”. The “architectural politician” Peter Conradi (SPD), one of the main advocates of the veil, remarked in the Bundestag debate on the project on February 25, 1994: “And as in France, where Chirac first proposed the project to encase the Pont Neuf as a quirk of an elite Minority wanted to dismiss and then, when hundreds of thousands, even millions, were enthusiastic about it, always was in favor of it, the critics of this morning will also be enthusiastic about the beauty and power of this project. "

In addition to the supporters, there were also numerous opponents who tried to change their minds in the Bundestag debate, such as Wolfgang Schäuble from the CDU : “Covering the Reichstag - Burkhard Hirsch said it - would not bring one together, it would polarize . ” Eike Ebert from the SPD said succinctly:“ Ladies and gentlemen, you simply don't do something like that! ”One of the opponents of the project was then Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl , but could not prevail. Many of the opponents took the view that the wrapping project was not appropriate to the historical dignity of the place.

For Gerhard Buchholz, the then spokesman for Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH (BTM), the wrapping of the Reichstag also represented "the biggest event since the fall of the Berlin Wall " in terms of tourism .

The wrapping of the Reichstag also received a lot of international attention, for example the project is mentioned in an episode of the popular US comedy series The Simpsons ( Surprise for Springfield , Season 10, Episode 19) from 1999, in the family man Homer Simpson searches for inspiration for his new artistic career, whereupon his daughter Lisa tells him about Christo's and Jeanne-Claude's projects. The poet Peter Hacks simply commented: "A madman wraps rags around a house."

Image rights

After the project ended, a legal dispute broke out between the artist couple and a Berlin postcard publisher, which sold postcards with motifs from the veiled Reichstag without the consent of the artists. The publisher invoked the so-called “ panorama freedom ” ( Section 59 of the German Copyright Act), according to which recordings of works that are permanently located on public roads, streets or squares may be made and distributed without the consent of the author. The publisher pointed out that the work of art was in a public place for its entire lifetime. Christo and Jeanne-Claude sued the publisher for an injunction because they were of the opinion that their work should not be classified as "permanent". On January 24, 2002, the Federal Court of Justice confirmed the artists' view that the art project Wrapped Reichstag was a temporary presentation. The publisher was therefore not allowed to continue to sell the postcards without the consent of the plaintiff. In contrast, the use of recordings for private purposes or in the context of reporting on current events was always possible due to other copyright restrictions.

Quotes

Regarding the controversies in the run-up to the Bundestag vote, Jeanne-Claude said, “That covering up will ultimately make '100 percent of the people in Germany' happy: a large percentage of them - let's say 80 percent - are happy because they covered it Have seen the Reichstag. The remaining 20 percent who are enraged about it will be happy for their part when we reveal it again! "

literature

  • Henning Ritter : The love of the masses for art. Christo's triumph . 1995. In: The return of the cabinet of curiosities. About art and artists , Hanser Berlin, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-446-24034-6 , pp. 240–247.
  • Ansgar Klein: Art, symbolism and politics: The wrapping of the Reichstag as food for thought . Springer, 2013, ISBN 9783322957085 .
  • Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Wrapped Reichstag. Berlin 1971–95 . Taschen, Cologne 2002, ISBN 3-8228-5504-9 .
  • Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 .
  • Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo and Jeanne-Claude (illustrated book). Taschen, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8228-6015-8 .

media

  • Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Wrapped Reichstag 1971–95. A film about the most spectacular contemporary art event; the German people. A film by Wolfram Hissen and Jörg Daniel Hissen, video cassette (VHS / PAL, approx. 98 min.).
  • Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The German people. Wrapped Reichstag 1971–1995. A film by Wolfram Hissen and Jörg Daniel Hissen, DVD (PAL, approx. 99 min.).

Web links

Commons : Veiled Reichstag  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo & Jeanne-Claude , f with photographs by Wolfgang Volz, Benedikt Taschen Verlag, Cologne 1995, p. 85 ISBN 3-8228-8795-1 .
  2. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo and Jeanne-Claude . Taschen, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8228-6015-8 , p. 77.
  3. Cullen gives a detailed report in first person form in: Michael S. Cullen: Der Reichstag. Parliament, monument, symbol . be.bra, Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-930863-06-5 , pp. 284-298.
  4. ^ Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 , p. 291.
  5. Information in 1972 and the following chronicle of the preparations in: Documentation of the Museum Schloss Bonndorf in the district of Waldshut on the media discussion with Christo and Jeanne-Claude on September 4, 1995 , pp. 3 and 4.
  6. a b Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 , pp. 433-452.
  7. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo & Jeanne-Claude , Cologne 1995, p 84th
  8. a b c d Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo and Jeanne-Claude . Taschen, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8228-6015-8 , p. 82.
  9. “What's going on here, Cherie?” - Jürgen Neffe on the preparatory work for the wrapping of the Reichstag and the Christo & Jeanne-Claude couple. In: Der Spiegel , 17/1995
  10. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo and Jeanne-Claude . Taschen, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-8228-6015-8 , pp. 29–31.
  11. Schilgen - Projects ( Memento of the original from May 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.schilgen.de
  12. a b c Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 , pp. 455-462.
  13. a b Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 , pp. 463-465.
  14. a b Burt Chernow: XTO + JC . List, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-548-60158-8 , p. 448.
  15. German Bundestag plenary proceedings 12/211, February 25, 1994 online .
  16. 20 years ago: the Bundestag allows the concealment of the Reichstag
  17. Berlin Tourism: Veiled Problems. In: Die Zeit , June 30, 1995
  18. ↑ Close your eyes and get on with it. FAZ , March 14, 2006, accessed on July 27, 2020 .
  19. Federal Court of Justice, judgment of January 24, 2002, I ZR 102/99 = BGHZ 150, 6 = NJW 2002, 2394 - Wrapped Reichstag .
  20. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo & Jeanne-Claude , Cologne 1995, p. 11
Dialog-error-copyright.svg For copyright reasons, it is not possible to illustrate the work discussed in this article in its completed form. Photographs of the work can be found on the website of the artist couple and their exclusive photographer Wolfgang Volz.