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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2003
PR- 023-03
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH ARTISTS CHRISTO & JEANNE-CLAUDE FOR "THE GATES" IN CENTRAL PARK

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that “The Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979-2005”, a temporary public work of art proposed by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, will be displayed in Central Park for approximately two weeks during February 2005 (when the trees have no leaves).  “The Gates” will consist of 7,500 gates bearing hanging saffron-colored cloth, lining approximately 23 miles of pedestrian paths in Central Park.  Christo and Jeanne-Claude will finance all costs associated with the project.  Deputy Mayor for Administration Patricia E. Harris, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, and artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude joined the Mayor at the Department of Parks & Recreation headquarters’ Arsenal Gallery for the announcement. 

“Impressive and imaginative works of art have enhanced New York City’s public spaces throughout its great history,” Mayor Bloomberg said.  “‘The Gates’ represents the latest provocative and innovative addition to our City’s grand tradition of public art and will contribute immensely to New York City’s status as the world’s cultural capital.  I thank Christo and Jeanne-Claude for their masterful exhibit and invite all New Yorkers as well people from around the world to experience ‘The Gates’ and appreciate its splendor and beauty.”

“Central Park, itself a work of art, is the home of 80 permanent statues and monuments, and has also played host to scores of temporary works of art,” Commissioner Benepe said.  “The artists have come up with a dramatic plan that completely respects the park’s environment while creating a unique, two-week display at a normally very quiet time of year.”

“The 14-day work of art, free for all, will be a memorable joyous experience for every New Yorker, as a democratic expression that Olmsted invoked when he conceived a 'central' park,” Christo and Jeanne-Claude said.  “The luminous moving fabric will underline the organic design of the park and will harmonize with the beauty of Central Park, while the rectangular poles will be a reminder of the grid pattern of the city blocks around the park.” 

Located along the park’s walkways, each of “The Gates” will stand 16 feet high and vary from 6 to 18 feet in width, and will stand perpendicular to selected footpaths in Central Park.  Free-hanging fabric panels suspended from the horizontal top part of “The Gates” will drop to approximately 7 feet above ground.  “The Gates” will be spaced at 10 to 15 foot intervals, allowing the synthetic woven fabric panels to wave horizontally toward the next gate.  The temporary work of art will stretch across paths from 59th Street to 110th Street.  The artists envision a “golden ceiling creating warm shadows” for passersby to enjoy as they walk through “The Gates.”  When viewed from the buildings surrounding Central Park, “The Gates” will look like a “golden river appearing and disappearing through the branches of the trees” and will highlight the shape of the footpaths.

As with their previous works of art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who do not accept any forms of sponsorship, will finance the entire cost of “The Gates” through the sale of studies, preparatory drawings and collages, scale models, earlier works, and original lithographs of other subjects.  The cost of “The Gates” covers materials, fabrication, installation, insurance, labor, removal, and security.  Christo and Jeanne-Claude will indemnify, hold harmless, and reimburse the City and the Central Park Conservancy for expenses related to the work of art and its installation.

The 16-foot high recyclable, vinyl, vertical poles will be secured by 15,000 narrow steel base weights positioned on paved surfaces, with no holes dug in the ground.  The on-site installation of the bases will neither disturb the maintenance and management of the park, nor the everyday use by people enjoying the park.  In addition, no gates will be installed in areas with high concentrations of birds or other wildlife, including the Hallet Nature Sanctuary, the Ramble, and the North Woods, nor will gates appear along the Park's bridle path or the reservoir running path; gates will not interfere with rock formations, vegetation, or the roots and branches of park trees.  The off-site fabrication of the gates’ structures and the assembly of the 7,500 panels, made of 1,089,000 square feet of fabric, will occur in local workshops and factories.  “The Gates” will also provide employment for thousands of New York City residents in manufacturing, assembly, installation, maintenance, security, and removal.  All materials involved in the project will be removed and recycled following the exhibit.

“The Gates” project follows in a tradition of large public events and art installations in Central Park and across the City, including the 1984 installation of 25 massive Henry Moore sculptures in various City parks and the Whitney Biennial installation in Central Park. 

The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) projects that “The Gates” will generate between $72 million and $136 million in economic output and between $2.5 million and $5 million in City tax revenues.  The EDC analysis is based on visitation information from other Christo and Jeanne-Claude projects, estimates of visitation for other unique cultural events in the City, and visitor spending information from NYC & Company.  Finally, the artists will pay $3 million for programs and operations both in Central Park and in other City parks.


 

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Edward Skyler/Jerry Russo 
(212) 788-2958
 
  Chris Osgood/Eric Adolfsen  ( Parks & Recreation )
(212) 360-1311