Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Lake Iseo near Brescia, where artist Christo has installed his latest work: The Floating Piers. Despite the long hours spent waiting for the train to get there, it was well worth the trip. While the concept itself is simple, it is the microcosm that has been created around the work that is truly surprising.

How can a bridge over a lake transform a small village into a besieged citadel? Surely the ephemeral nature of the bridge, installed for barely three weeks, has something to do with it. And while the idea of a floating bridge is not new, the engineering involved in such a construction is also part of the magic of the space created. And when viewed from above, the lake itself is transformed by this orange footbridge. The textures of the water take on different forms depending on whether they are to the left or right of the bridge. A beautiful achievement to showcase an equally beautiful region.