site.btaOdesa Painter Awed by Magnitude of Christo’s Art Installations

The monumental scale of the projects of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is impressive and awe-inspiring, according to Ludmila Kostrova-Ivanova, a painter of Bulgarian origin, who was a guest at BTA’s National Press Club in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on June 25 during a presentation of the latest issue of BTA’s LIK magazine.

The issue is dedicated to the pioneering artist Christo (1935–2020) and his wife Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (1935–2009). The presentation took place concurrently at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre in Gabrovo, North Central Bulgaria and BTA’s MaxiM Hall in Sofia as well as the BTA national press clubs across Bulgaria and abroad, via video conference.

Some of the most important moments in the couple’s lives and art were highlighted during the event. LIK carries a biographical timeline, memories, interviews and photos of installation art projects such as The Pont Neuf Wrapped (Paris), Wrapped Reichstag (Berlin), The Gates (New York) and L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped (Paris).

Kostrova-Ivanova, who works at an art school in Odesa, commented: “I must admit I hadn’t heard anything about this brilliant Bulgarian-born artist. What I heard and saw during the videoconference from Gabrovo and Sofia was very impressive. One of the things that impressed me was that the two of them, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, attained their artistic goals as they managed to persuade people to let them put their grand ideas into reality.”

She said it is great that Bulgaria cherishes Christo’s legacy. “He is Bulgaria’s pride,” she commented. “It’s a pity he didn’t get to work in his home country, but such were the political circumstances.”

Asked which landmark in Odesa could hypothetically have been chosen by Christo and Jeanne-Claude to create an art installation, Kostrova-Ivanova said the first thing that comes to mind is a tall building in the port area and the adjoining Potemkin Stairs, which are very famous internationally. “The place is visible from all sides of the city, and if this could be implemented, it would be really impressive,” she said.