Surrounded Islands

In 1980, while the couple dealt with bureaucratic gridlock on other projects, a Miami community art festival invited Christo and Jeanne-Claude to participate. While they declined on account of the Miami summer heat, they continued to explore the idea for a project in the city.[1] Jeanne-Claude conceived the concept,[2] which would surround 11 spoil islands with floating pink fabric in Miami's Biscayne Bay. They reviewed the engineering and environmental impacts for three years, learning about the bay's protected wildlife, commissioning studies of local wildlife, scoping logistics for anchoring the fabric to the islands, and experimenting with floating fabrics. The work also involved lobbying work to acquire public support, governmental approval, and permits.[1] Their lawyers handled a federal lawsuit from a wildlife paramedic. The artists, as was their practice, restored environments to their original condition, but in Miami's case, they additionally cleaned 40 tons of waste during the project.[3]

The installation mounted for 11 days in May 1983. It was isolated, existing across 11 miles in the bay, and was mainly consumed through mass media, being best portrayed by aerial photography and over television. Surrounded Islands was the couple's most expensive work to date[1] and their largest work by size in their lifetimes.[4] The finished work played a strong role in developing the city's reputation as a place of culture.[3]