2021年9月24日，克里斯托和Jeanne Claude在凯旋门追寻遗迹, 法国巴黎 Arc de Triomphe wrapped in posthumous art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude on September 24, 2021, in Paris, France (© Bruno de HOGUES/Getty Images)
Arc de Triomphe wrapped in posthumous art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude on September 24, 2021, in Paris, France 2021年9月24日，克里斯托和Jeanne Claude在凯旋门追寻遗迹, 法国巴黎 (© Bruno de HOGUES/Getty Images)
An icon is 'Wrapped' 图标被“包装”
World Art Day
To celebrate World Art Day, we're taking a look at one of the greatest triumphs (pun intended) of public art—last fall's 'L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped,' by the late artists Christo and wife Jeanne-Claude. Completed and staged 16 months after Christo's death at age 84, 'Wrapped' was the fruition of an idea 60 years in the making. On view for 16 days from Saturday, September 18 to Sunday, October 3, 2021, the project required 269,000 square feet of recyclable silvery-blue polypropylene fabric that completely covered the monument. The fabric glistened and glimmered with the changing light of Paris. The pleated fabric was held fast to the arch by nearly two miles of red rope.
Over the decades, Christo and artistic partner Jeanne-Claude created several large-scale installations at famous landmarks around the world, using fabric in tandem with landscapes and structures like Berlin's Reichstag and New York's Central Park.
World Art Day was declared by the International Association of Art, a UNESCO partner, as an international celebration of the fine arts, and to promote awareness of creative activity all over the world. It is celebrated every April 15, which also aptly marks the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, the embodiment of creativity.
世界艺术日
为了庆祝世界艺术日，我们来看看去年秋天由已故艺术家克里斯托和妻子珍妮·克劳德（Jeanne Claude）创作的《凯旋门》（L’Arc de Triomphe，Wrapped），这是公共艺术最伟大的成就之一（双关语）。在克里斯托84岁去世16个月后完成并上演的《包裹》是一个酝酿了60年的创意的成果。从星期六，9月18日至星期日，2021年10月3日的16天，项目需要269000平方英尺的可回收银蓝色聚丙烯织物，完全覆盖了纪念碑。织物在巴黎不断变化的光线下闪闪发光。褶皱的布料被将近两英里长的红绳牢牢地固定在拱门上。
几十年来，克里斯托和艺术合作伙伴珍妮·克劳德在世界各地著名的地标建筑创作了几部大型装置作品，将织物与柏林国会大厦和纽约中央公园等景观和建筑相结合。
联合国教科文组织的合作伙伴国际艺术协会宣布世界艺术日为国际性的艺术庆典，旨在促进全世界对创意活动的认识。每年4月15日都会庆祝它，这也恰如其分地标志着创造力的化身莱昂纳多·达芬奇的生日。
埃菲尔铁塔，法国巴黎 Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (© Susanne Kremer/eStock Photo)
埃菲尔铁塔，法国巴黎 Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (© Susanne Kremer/eStock Photo)
与铁娘子一起庆祝新的一年 Celebrate another year with The Iron Lady
Eiffel Tower, France
Locally, it's called 'La dame de fer,' which translates to English as 'The Iron Lady.' To the rest of the world, it's the Eiffel Tower, a landmark nearly synonymous with all things Parisian. It's one of the most recognizable structures in the world and the most visited monument with an entrance fee. The Eiffel Tower took 500 workers two years, two months and five days to complete. It stands at 1,063 feet tall, an amazing achievement for a time when structures of this size were unheard of. For that, we're joining the world in celebrating the Tower's 133rd birthday.
Depending on the temperature, the Eiffel Tower can actually shrink by about seven inches. On a particularly windy day, if you look closely, maybe you'll notice of the natural swaying movement near the top. That wind also gets collected by turbines on the second level which convert it into electricity for the tower's shops and restaurants. There's also a rainwater collection system that's used for the toilet tanks. The Eiffel Tower gets a fresh paint job roughly every seven years. Originally it was dark red, then yellow, but has been 'Eiffel Tower Brown' for the past 54 years. It takes around 16,000 gallons of paint to get the job done.
法国埃菲尔铁塔
在当地，它被称为“La dame de fer”，英文翻译为“铁娘子”对世界其他地方来说，这就是埃菲尔铁塔，一个几乎与巴黎所有事物同义的地标。它是世界上最知名的建筑之一，也是参观人数最多的纪念碑，只需交纳入场费。埃菲尔铁塔花了500名工人两年零两个月零五天建成。它有1063英尺高，在这种规模的建筑闻所未闻的时候，这是一个惊人的成就。为此，我们将与全世界一起庆祝塔楼的133岁生日。
根据温度的不同，埃菲尔铁塔实际上可以收缩约7英寸。在风特别大的日子，如果你仔细观察，也许你会注意到顶部附近的自然摆动。第二层的涡轮机也会收集这些风，并将其转化为电能，供大楼的商店和餐厅使用。还有一个用于马桶水箱的雨水收集系统。埃菲尔铁塔大约每七年重新粉刷一次。最初是深红色，然后是黄色，但在过去54年里一直是“埃菲尔铁塔棕色”。完成这项工作需要大约16000加仑的油漆。
巴黎的先贤祠，法国 The Panthéon in Paris, France (© manjik/Shutterstock)
巴黎的先贤祠，法国 The Panthéon in Paris, France (© manjik/Shutterstock)
Under Paris skies
For Bastille Day, aka French National Day, we examine not the titular prison that was the site of beginning of the French Revolution, but another building inexorably wrapped up in that powder-keg moment of French history. That dome in the upper right portion of this photo is the Panthéon. Construction of the building—intended to be a church—began in 1758. But by the time it was completed, the French Revolution was in full swing and the new establishment decided that it should instead be used as a mausoleum for distinguished French citizens, which it remains today.
秋日里通往卢浮宫的杜乐丽花园，法国巴黎 Jardin des Tuileries in autumn leading to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France (© Brian A. Jackson/Getty Images Plus)
秋日里通往卢浮宫的杜乐丽花园，法国巴黎 Jardin des Tuileries in autumn leading to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France (© Brian A. Jackson/Getty Images Plus)
Paris is photo-ready this week
Today we're featuring an image of the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre to highlight the Paris Photo art fair happening through Sunday at the historic Grand Palais. Paris Photo is the world's largest art fair dedicated to photography. Since 1997, the mission of the fair has been 'to promote and nurture photographic creation and the galleries, publishers, and artists at its source.' Starting today around 200 exhibitors, leading galleries, and specialty publishers, along with Parisian cultural institutions, will give visitors a unique look at both historical and contemporary photographic works of art.
Peloton during the 2018 Tour de France in Valence, France © Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Peloton during the 2018 Tour de France in Valence, France © Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
Cyclists have been competing in this prestigious, multi-stage race since 1903. The route is changed every year but always includes a mix of terrains and elevations, mostly in France. Originally conceived as a promotion for a newspaper, the Tour is now a worldwide sporting event that draws billions of viewers each year, making it more popular than the Super Bowl. Here, competitors are biking alongside the summertime sunflowers of southern France that are in full bloom during the race each year. This scenic image is a foil to the grueling duration of the race, which covers more than 2,000 miles over a 23-day span. Although athletes are organized into teams, the individual who completes the strenuous course in the overall shortest amount of time wins and gets a cash prize often shared with teammates. This year's race starts in Belgium and will pedal past the iconic sunflowers around stage 16 before coming to a stop in Paris.
Stravinsky Fountain in Paris, France © Alessandro Saffo/eStock Photo
Stravinsky Fountain in Paris, France © Alessandro Saffo/eStock Photo
A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
The whimsical sculptures of Stravinsky Fountain in Paris are a bold, modern contrast to the Church of Saint-Merri, seen in the background of our photo today. The fountain—designed to inspire feelings of joy and playfulness—is a tribute to the groundbreaking symphonic composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky. Though he was born near St. Petersburg, Russia, Stravinsky wrote and debuted many of his career-making works while living in France in the early 20th century. It was this day in 1913 that Stravinsky’s ballet ‘The Rite of Spring’ debuted at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
The ballet, choreographed by iconic dancer Vaslav Nijinksy, was not well-received by traditionalists. Those who preferred classical ballet clashed with ‘bohemian’ members of the audience who openly embraced the modern performance. The fracas soon led to heckling of the performers and fights within the crowd. The ensuing ‘riot’ is something of a legend, with most historians agreeing that it wasn’t quite the spectacle that some accounts suggest. Still, it’s fun to imagine a ballet inspiring such a passionate reaction from the audience. Imagine if the ballet fans of early 20th-century Paris had social media…
