Wrapped coast (1968-1969, Australia)

Little Bay, property of Prince Henry Hospital, is located 14.5 kilometers (9 miles), southeast of the center of Sydney.

The South Pacific Ocean cliff-lined shore area that was wrapped is approximately 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) long, 46 to 244 meters (150 to 800 feet) wide, 26 meters (85 feet) high at the northern cliffs, and was at sea level at the southern sandy beach.

17,000 manpower hours, over a period of four weeks, were expended by 15 professional mountain climbers, 110 workers: architecture and art students from the University of Sydney and East Sydney Technical College, as well as a number of Australian artists and teachers. All climbers and workers were paid with the exception of eleven architecture students who refused to be paid.

The project was financed entirely by Christo and Jeanne-Claude through the sale of Christo’s original preparatory drawings, collages, scale models, early “Packages” and “Wrapped Objects” of the 1950’s and 1960’s and lithographs.

The artists do not accept sponsorships of any kind.

The coast remained wrapped for a period of ten weeks from October 28, 1969. Then all materials were removed and recycled, and the site was returned to its original condition.