761 - Christo (1935-2020): 'The Mastaba', offset lithograph in colours, dated 2013

Christo (1935-2020): 'The Mastaba', offset lithograph in colours, dated 2013 Work: 71 x 60 cm Frame: 72 x 61 cm The Mastaba, a project for Abu Dhabi, was conceived in 1977. It will be the largest contemporary sculpture (in volume) in the world, made from 410,000 multi-coloured barrels to form a colourful mosaic, echoing Islamic architecture. The Mastaba will be 150 meters (492 feet) high, 300 meters (984 feet) long at the vertical walls and 225 meters (738 feet) wide at the 60 degree slanted walls. The colours and the positioning of the 55-gallon steel barrels were selected by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1979, the year in which the artists visited the United Arab Emirates for the first time. The proposed location is inland, approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the city of Abu Dhabi in the desert of Liwa. In 2007 and 2008, Christo and Jeanne-Claude contracted professors of engineering from ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US, Cambridge University in the UK and Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan, to prepare structural feasibility studies about The Mastaba. All four teams worked independently and did not know of each other. The artists then hired the German engineering firm, Schlaich Bergermann Partner, in Stuttgart, to analyze these reports. The Hosei University concept was found to be the most technically sound and innovative. Once government approval is granted, the construction period will take at least three years. The entire substructure as well as the layer of barrels will be assembled flat on the ground. Ten elevation towers will make it possible to raise the entire structure on rails to its final position in about two weeks. In 2012, Christo commissioned Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Albright Stonebridge Group to conduct analyses on the social and economic benefits of The Mastaba. Like all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's projects, The Mastaba will be self-financed and will not require government funding. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's relationship with Abu Dhabi goes back to 1979 when they first visited the Emirate. They have returned many times since, creating a longstanding friendship with the people of Abu Dhabi. The Mastaba will be Christo and Jeanne-Claude's only permanent, large-scale public artwork, and also their final project. Per Christo's wishes, The Mastaba will be carried out by his nephew Vladimir Yavachev, who has worked with the artists for over three decades and most recently directed 'L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped'. The absence of a condition report does not imply that a lot is in perfect condition. Condition reports are provided on request. They will be made available, together with additional images, on our website at www.coronariauctions.com. Condition reports are given as a service, we can not be held liable for errors in such a report. The full list of condition reports for this sale is available on the following URL: https://www.coronariauctions.com/en/condition-report/48 Further questions are always welcome at info@coronariauctions.com