NEW YORK CITY, U.S.A. Ten years ago, Bulgarian artist Christo Yavacheff and French artist Jeanne-Claude, together also known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, illuminated the Big Apple’s grim winter landscape with a series of orange gates in Central Park. The gates alluded to the torii gates of Japan, where they can usually be found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.

The exhibition lasted from February 12, 2005 to February 27, 2005, but the artists officially named it “Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979–2005”, referring to 1979 as the year when they originally began proposing the idea, and to 2005, when they were finally able to install it.

There was much controversy about the gates, with those protesting arguing that the gates were marring the natural landscape, and moreover being an impediment to cyclists (even though biking is illegal in that very area).

Christo The Thousand Gates (Project) Drawing 1979 11 x 14" (28 x 35.5 cm) Pencil, charcoal, pastel and tape Photo: Eeva-Inkeri © 1979 Christo

Christo, The Thousand Gates (Project) | Eeva-Inkeri, © 1979 Christo

Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 | Wolfgang Volz, © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 | Wolfgang Volz, © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005 | Wolfgang Volz, © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude