20th Anniversary Of ‘The Gates’ Art Installation Celebrated In NYC

The 20^th anniversary celebration in New York of the legendary public art installation in Central Park, The Gates, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, will partially end this Sunday, March 23.

The celebration includes an exhibition at The Shed in Hudson Yards, closing March 23, and an augmented reality experience in Central Park that is powered by Bloomberg Connects and has been extended to April 16.

The artists’ foundation said, “Credited with revolutionizing New York City’s relationship with participatory and community-based art and igniting dialogue about the importance of public art globally, The Gates captured the imagination of millions and helped revive a city that had been transformed by the tragedy of 9/11 four years earlier. Twenty-six years in the making, The Gates was on display for sixteen days in 2005. The work of art attracted over four million visitors to the Park and generated an estimated $254 million in economic activity across New York City.”

“Even after 20 years, the unforgettable visual memory of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates is still in the minds of the many people who experienced it in person or viewed it from afar,” said Vladimir Yavachev, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s director of projects. “The Gates was responsible for sparking an important conversation about public art and its role in urban settings and society.”

The original installation featured 7,503 saffron-colored gates adorned with free-flowing fabric that spanned 23 miles of pathways, The individual gates were 16 feet tall and varied in width from 5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet, depending on the different widths of the park’s walkways. The vertical poles were secured by narrow steel base footings, 613 to 837 pounds each, positioned on top of the paved surfaces. Free hanging saffron-colored fabric panels, suspended from the horizontal top part of the gates, came down to approximately seven feet above the ground. The gates were spaced at 12-foot intervals.

Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, said, “Christo and Jeanne-Claude first proposed The Gates for Central Park in the 1970s, but the powers that be blocked it. After being elected mayor of New York just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, we worked closely with them to bring their vision to life. Millions of New Yorkers and visitors shared in the incredible experience of walking through a transformed landscape, just as the artists had imagined. Now Bloomberg Philanthropies is glad to help bring the spirit of their unforgettable work back to life – and celebrate the boldness and creativity that lifted our city’s spirits and economy as we recovered from our darkest day.”

The Gates exhibition at The Shed includes original artworks by Christo, such as drawings, scale models and components from the 2005 Central Park installation; photographs and videos; an interactive, tabletop map of Central Park that facilitates an augmented reality exploration of The Gates; and a selection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s visionary proposals for New York City that were never realized. For the first time in the United States, these works are presented through Christo’s drawings, scale models and projections, and offer a glimpse into the artists’ creative processes for large-scale public art projects.

Visitors to The Shed and those who cannot experience the exhibition in person can learn more about it on the Bloomberg Connects app, which features bespoke audio, video and text content about both the exhibition and other works at The Shed.

The celebration’s AR experience, available between the east and west sides of Central Park near 72nd Street, virtually creates several hundred gates. In coordination with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Central Park Conservancy, this experience is available during daylight park hours, with signage along the AR route. It is wheelchair-accessible along the paved pathways.

“The Gates was a memorable work of public art amplified by Central Park’s iconic landscapes,” said Betsy Smith, President & CEO of the Central Park Conservancy. “Thanks to our partners at Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, the public can once again experience this groundbreaking act of public art inside Central Park.”

“Public art has the power to transform not just spaces, but communities. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates was a groundbreaking work for NYC Parks that reimagined the renowned Central Park and captured the hearts and imaginations of many,” said Sue Donoghue, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. “It brought 4 million visitors to the park, and two decades later, it continues to remind us of the vital role public art plays in bringing people together, sparking conversations, and enriching our public spaces. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Gates with this new interactive exhibit, we are reminded of the incredible potential of art to connect us to nature, to each other, and to the urban environment around us.”