If you have a phone and Snapchat, you can check out the evolution of an artistic icon in France by installation artist Christo.
Trips to France may well be a while off — thanks coronavirus — and that means folks living in Australia will have missed one final piece of installation art that has seen gradual evolutions over the years.
Created by installation artist Christo and his partner Jeanne-Claude and realised and planned over the space of roughly 60 years, the final exhibition was seen in Paris over the past few weeks, wrapping the massive Arc de Triomphe recently in a fabric.
Neither Christo or Jeanne-Claude were alive to see it, but the project which has been worked on and planned since the 60s finally came to fruition this year, with fine art sellers Sothesby’s running an exhibition showcasing the art that got it there over the past few weeks, as well.
And while so many of us aren’t able to get there, Snapchat has teamed with Sothesby’s to preserve the art and idea, and allow anyone who wants to see it a chance to do so in augmented reality.
Snapping the Christo L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped code (above) will open up a digital portal of sorts to show an augmented reality take on the artwork, allowing Snapchat users to take a look at what the artwork was planned to look like through the years, and what it finally looked like this year when it was finally launched in 2021.
While it’s not quite as extensive a look at as seen in Google’s virtual exploration through its Arts & Culture project, it’s one way to experience the installation piece, even when it disappears. And by the time Australians are allowed to visit, it’s very likely that it could be the only way they’ll be able to experience just that.
