Wrapped

Wrapping an object inherently hides its features to produce a sense of mystery while simultaneously highlighting its surface and form, aesthetic effects that many artists have harnessed over the years. In the late 1950s, as artists began incorporating everyday objects into their art, Bulgarian artist Christo began wrapping furniture and household items with plastic, fabric, and rope. With his partner, Jeanne Claude, he expanded this practice in later decades, covering entire bridges, fields, buildings, and even islands with fabrics—inviting viewers to reconsider places they encountered daily but often overlooked. Operating with a similar intent, artists such as Magda Sayeg, Bill Davenport, and Olek adopted a practice of “yarn bombing” in the 2000s. Intervening in and reclaiming public space, they wrapped common urban fixtures with brightly colored textiles, embracing an irreverence and spontaneity akin to that of graffiti and other forms of unsanctioned art.