The Pont Neuf, Wrapped (Project for Paris)

"Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work proceeds on the assumption that the most important contribution of art is its impact on the ongoing development of our consciousness as a culture, and that the object itself has little worth once its historical effect on its contemporaries has been achieved. For this reason, the artists remove all their projects after a display period of a week or two. Indeed, the dismantling of the works add mystery and a legendary character to the projects that causes still more conversation and thought. But once the work has occurred it also leaves a lasting legacy of ideas, even if it is removed without a physical trace."
—(J. Fineberg, Christo and Jeanne-Claude: On the Way to The Gates, New York, 2004, pp. 12-13)