The Grates: A Symphony in Turquoise

New York moves forward with plans for Christo encore.

N

The couple plans to cover 7500 sewer grates along 23 miles of New York City streets in turquoise fabric for two weeks during the summer of 2006.

This original Christo rendering of The Grates sold for $1.3 million.

"The Gates were so wonderful, so popular," beamed a joyful Christo on Sunday, "that we can't wait to do another project. The Grates will be the culmination of all of our efforts to date. The environmental impacts will be fantastic!"

"Oui oui," agreed Jeanne-Claude.

"The Gates raised so much money we couldn't believe it," exclaimed an exultant Mayor Bloomberg. "We've got to capitalize on this wrapping craze fast if we're going to fund the MTA's capital budget AND build the Jets stadium."

"The Grates will raise the city's Sociability levels through the roof," claims Steve Davies of PPS. "People will congregate at street corners all over town, to schmooze, gossip, and exchange stories. The Grates will become like the office water cooler. And if there's a Grate, a mail box, a street lamp, and a bus stop, then you've got triangulation on a city-wide scale!"

The Grates will be installed by non-union labor, prisoners on work-release, and the cast of "Movin' Out," and will be unfurled by NYC's Sanitation Director in a closed door ceremony.

As with all of Christo's projects, The Grates will be funded through the sale of his original sketches, models, prints, drawings, and plans, as well as with kickbacks from New Jersey-based trash haulers.