Berlin celebrates 30 years of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Wrapped Reichstag with illuminated tribute

This June, Berlin will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Wrapped Reichstag, the landmark artwork by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that enveloped the German parliament building in shimmering fabric in 1995. From June 9th to 20th, 2025, the Wrapped Reichstag will be revisited through a large-scale light projection onto the building’s west façade, illuminating the structure from sunset to 1 AM each evening. Developed by artist Anna Bacheva, the new installation uses 24 synchronized projectors and is presented as a free public event by 30 Jahre Verhüllter Reichstag Schwenkow & Specker GmbH.

First conceived by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1971, Wrapped Reichstag took 24 years to realize and was completed in 1995—just five years after German reunification. The temporary installation lasted for 14 days, during which a team of 90 climbers and 120 workers wrapped the building in 100,000 square meters of reflective polypropylene fabric, fastened with nearly 10 miles of blue rope. Entirely self-financed through the sale of Christo’s preparatory drawings, the project became a global symbol of unity, transparency, and artistic freedom.

Vladimir Yavachev, Christo’s nephew and project director, describes Wrapped Reichstag as a triumph of artistic vision and political determination. The 2025 light tribute honors not only Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s enduring legacy but also Berlin’s identity as a city of creative courage and democratic ideals.

Complementing the projection, the Neue Nationalgalerie will exhibit Wrapped Volkswagen Beetle Saloon, another iconic work by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Together, these tributes mark 30 years since Wrapped Reichstag transformed a symbol of state power into a poetic gesture of openness—a gesture that continues to resonate in the heart of Berlin.