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Christo will wow us with his Mastaba spectacular

Michael Bloomberg: Dave Benett
Michael Bloomberg: Dave Benett

This summer, I hope the people of London and all the areas surrounding it will find time to visit Hyde Park and The Serpentine Galleries. In the park will be The London Mastaba, the latest ambitious public art project by the world-renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. And in the Galleries will be an extraordinary exhibition of their work. Taken together, it will be an experience unlike any other.

During my tenure as Mayor of New York, Central Park hosted one of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s largest public art projects, The Gates. It was a global sensation. Over just 16 days, four million visitors came to see saffron panels float above 23 miles of pathways, generating about $250 million in economic activity for our city.

Now, as chairman of The Serpentine Galleries, I am excited to see Christo bring his latest big idea to London, which will carry with it the same kind of civic and economic benefits we experienced in New York.

The London Mastaba launches on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park today. Like all their large-scale public art projects around the world, this one will attract residents and international visitors who will patronise local shops, eat at local restaurants and boost other local businesses.

The exhibition is expected to generate significant economic activity, which will also produce tax revenue that can be used to benefit the whole UK.

Just as importantly, The London Mastaba will bring together people from diverse communities. These kinds of shared civic experiences help foster a spirit of unity — even as people walk away with entirely different reactions to the art.

Like all great public art, this temporary sculpture will provoke debate, spark imaginations and add new energy to London — just as The Gates did in New York.

It’s not easy to describe The London Mastaba. It consists of more than 7,000 horizontally stacked barrels on a floating platform in the Serpentine Lake. But that doesn’t begin to do it justice. You’ll have to see it for yourself this summer.

Great care has been taken to ensure there will be no negative ecological impact on the lake, the surrounding park or its wildlife. In addition, substantial new investments will be made in Hyde Park as a direct result of the project. So while it will disappear this autumn, the park will grow more beautiful than ever.

London, like New York, is a city that is rich in culture and the arts. The London Mastaba will remind the world why London is such an exciting and creative capital — and why it’s such an attractive place to live, work and visit.

  • Michael Bloomberg is chairman of The Serpentine Galleries and the former Mayor of New York. You can visit the Mastaba at the Serpentine, W2 (020 7402 6075, serpentinegalleries.org) until Sept 9 .