Have you ever wanted to walk on water? Well, now you can. Since 1970, artistic duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude (who has since passed away) dreamt of “floating piers,” a large-scale, interactive artwork that creates a striking foot path atop a body of water. The modular, flexible structure consists of 16-meter-wide piers made from high-density polyethelyne, connected by a bright yellow fabric that extends 2.5 kilometers throughout the pedestrian streets of nearby Sulzano and Peschiera Maraglio. For 16 days – from June 18 to July 3 – visitors can witness the gentle movement of the piers as the shimmering cloth changes colors in the sunlight.
“There are no tickets, no openings, no reservations and no owners. The Floating Piers are an extension of the street and belong to everyone.” Christo hopes that “those who experience the floating piers will feel like they are walking on water – or perhaps the back of a whale” as they gently sway with the waves. Anyone can traverse the path from Sulzano to Monte Isola and even the island San Paolo, but the best views may exist at a distance; the surrounding mountains provide a bird’s eye view of the striking, angular installation as it interacts with the Italian landscape.
