The 5th Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art

Wednesday, 11 January 2006 18:16

FLORENCE, ITALY.-The fifth edition of the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art will take place at the historic Fortezza da Basso . This year’s edition will include as honored guests acclaimed artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as well as one of the founders of Op Art, celebrated artist Richard Anuszkiewicz. Many of Anuszkiewic’s best compositions will be exhibited at the Biennale. Husband and wife, Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude de Guillebon) were born on the same day: June 13th, 1935; he in Bulgaria and she in Casablanca. They met and were married in Paris in 1958. Since 1961 they have executed monumental installations in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States which have made them among the most widely known and influential of contemporary artists. Collaborative works by the environmental artists include Wrapped Coast, Little Bay in Australia where in 1969 the artists wrapped a cliff- lined shore with one million square feet of erosion control fabric. In 1983 the artists completed their installation Surrounded Islands in Miami, Florida. They surrounded 11 islands with 6.5 million square feet of bright pink polypropylene fabric, creating a striking effect enjoyed by people on land, on the water, and in the air. Two years later the artists realized their work The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, using a silky sandstone colored fabric to wrap a bridge that has joined the left and right banks and the île de la cité for over two thousand years. In order to maintain their independence and their integrity, Christo and Jeanne-Claude do not accept donations or sponsorship. Instead, they fund their million dollar projects solely from the sale of earlier works, preparatory drawings and collages. The Florence Biennale , in collaboration with the United Nations, is an official participant in Dialogue Among Nations.

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