Cloud Gate (The Bean)
by Anish Kapoor, 2006
Details
- Year
- 2006
- Medium
- Stainless steel
- Size
- 10 m × 20 m × 13 m (33 × 66 × 42 ft)
Anish Kapoor designed Cloud Gate, unveiled in 2006 in Chicago's Millennium Park. The massive stainless steel sculpture measures 10 by 20 by 13 meters and weighs 110 tons. Locals immediately nicknamed it "The Bean" for its legume-like shape, though Kapoor reportedly dislikes the name. The polished surface reflects and distorts the Chicago skyline like a funhouse mirror.
The sculpture's seamless surface required extraordinary fabrication. Workers welded 168 stainless steel plates together, then polished away all visible seams. The "omphalos" (navel) underneath creates a concave chamber where visitors can stand surrounded by their own warped reflections. Kapoor wanted the work to feel like a gate between the earth and sky.
Cloud Gate sits in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, free and accessible 24 hours daily. It has become the city's most photographed landmark, drawing millions of visitors yearly. The reflective surface shows different faces depending on weather, time of day, and the crowds gathered around it. Chicago has embraced the sculpture as a symbol of civic pride.
About Cloud Gate (The Bean)
It measures 10 x 20 x 13 meters (33 x 66 x 42 feet) and weighs 110 tons. The sculpture is made from 168 polished stainless steel plates welded together with no visible seams. Its mirror surface reflects Chicago's skyline and the clouds moving overhead. You can walk under a 12-foot arch at the center.
British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor designed it. The sculpture was installed in Millennium Park in Chicago between 2004 and 2006. It was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006. Kapoor said the design was inspired by liquid mercury.
Chicagoans started calling it 'The Bean' because of its legume-like shape. Kapoor initially disliked the nickname, preferring the official title Cloud Gate (a reference to the sculpture as a gate to Chicago reflected in its surface). He eventually warmed up to it. Most people now call it The Bean without thinking twice.
Yes. Unlike most public artworks, visitors are encouraged to touch it. The surface is wiped down twice a day to remove fingerprints. Walking underneath reveals a concave chamber called the 'omphalos' that creates warped, multiplied reflections of anyone standing inside. It's free to visit in Millennium Park, open daily.
Own Art Like This
Luxury wall art with the same mood and energy. Gallery-quality canvas, no museum crowds.
Browse Collection