site.btaExhibition Honouring Christo’s 90th Anniversary to Open in Paris

The autumn season of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute (BCI) in Paris will open on September 19 with the exhibition Childhood Years, prepared by the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre in Gabrovo (North Central Bulgaria), said on Tuesday BCI-Paris Director Desislava Bineva. The exhibition marks the 90th birth anniversary of Christo Javacheff, known internationally simply as Christo, one of the most prominent world artists of Bulgarian origin, and will represent resident artists from the Gabrovo-based centre. 

Bineva noted that the exhibition explores childhood as the first stage of imagination and creative potential. It will feature documents and rare photographs from Christo’s early years, alongside works by a new generation of contemporary artists inspired by the freedom and joy of dreaming and creating boldly.

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre opened in 2023, three years after Christo’s passing. Housed in the building of the former Vocational Secondary School for Textiles and Fashion Design in Gabrovo, it is a contemporary art space hosting programmes for young artists from across the globe. In Childhood Years, seven of them will present their works in Paris for the first time.

Bineva explained that the exhibition will explore Christo’s childhood experiences of family, schools, factories, favourite games, and first steps in art, which later inspired the iconic elements in Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects, such as fabrics, ropes, and barrels.

The Childhood Years exhibition is supported by the Museum of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo, Gabrovo Municipality, and the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Bineva added.