Interview with Christo

Interviewer: Masahiko Yanagi

Questions

With kindly permission of Prestel Verlag

This Interview took place in 1986 on the occasion of the Christo Wrapped Reichstag Exhibition in Satani Gallery in Tokio and was first published in the exhibition's catalogue. Even though the political world has since change greatly, the interview is nevertheless an important document in that it describes the artist's workmethod and the complex problems with which he saw himself confronted in realizing the Reichstag Project

(The questions have been shorted)

Which is your art: the wrapped object or the entire process involved?
How sure are you of realizing a project?
Do you ever abandon projects?
Do you ever take up projects again once they've been abandoned?
What was your reaction to Michael Cullen's suggestion to wrap the Reichstag?
Had you considered other Projects for Berlin before the Reichstag?
Does the parliament building interest you as symbol for politics?
Is the Reichstag project part of a general interest in public buildings?
Are there basic differences between urban and rural projects?
What is the Reichstag building used for now (1986)?
From whom must you obtain permission to realize the project?
Did the United States government assist in negotiations?
Do the people of Berlin have any influence on the decision?
Did you meet with any objections, for exeample, the Soviet Union?
Does the architecture of the Reichstag interest you?
Did the Reichstag mean anything to you before starting this project?
When and for how long will the Reichstag be wrapped?
Are you involved with the technical aspects of the actual Reichtag wrapping?
What kind of material will you use for the wrapping?
How important is the visual or aesthetic aspect of your projects?
Are you losing interest in wrapping projects?
What do you do with the fabric after a project?
What is the reason you strictly refuse outside sponsoring or funds?
Would you say the collectors of your drawings finance your projects?

What is your purpose in having an exhibition of a project in progress?