For Christo, what was the point of wrapping Paris’s Arc de Triomphe?

Like so lots of the tasks of Christo (1935-2020) and his spouse Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009), wrapping the Arc de Triomphe was a formidable logistical feat. A lot of the media consideration has understandably centered on the size of the mission (270,000 sq. toes of polypropylene material, shimmery grey to match the zinc roofs of Paris; virtually 1.9 miles of crimson rope), the variety of staff concerned (1,200), the technical challenges (defending the arch’s sculptural reliefs and nesting falcons), the bureaucratic impediments, and the delays attributable to environmental issues after which covid.