If the average person can pull this off, why have we not seen it before?
An intrinsic part of his artwork is the process and that includes the negotiation of the installation. He funds and pays for the installation through the sale of sketches of the projects. He has employed over a 1000 workers for this installation.
Tell me again how this is an "average person"?
Better yet. Does it really matter whether or not it IS "art"? It won't vanish into the ether if it isn't art...and I bet Christo would have created it anyway! And the responses would be pretty much the same! I love Christo's running fence more than his other work and I really don't care whether it is art. IMO this question, in a free country and a free market, is a waste of time. There will never be an exact definition of art that satisfies everyone as long as our country is free...Apparently this freaks some people out.