The Bean, Millennium Park in Chicago

Cloud Gate also called as “The Bean” due to its bean shaped structure is a public structure located in Millennium Park in the Loop Community area of Chicago, Illinois. The sculpture was made by an Indian-born British artist AnishKapoor. The reason of its fame is that it was made up of stainless steel. 168 stainless steel plates have been welded together and polished so perfectly that there are no visible seams. The highly polished surface reflects and distorts the city skyline. Under the bean shaped structure is an arch, the underside of which is an “omphalos”, a concave chamber which warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture has become increasingly popular among tourists.

The sculpture was actually made by Kapoor in a design competition. It was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006. The mayor of Chicago declared that day as “Cloud Gate Day”. AnishKappor also attended the celebration. People instantly took a liking to the amazing structure and it rapidly gained popularity internationally. Kapoor is famous all over the United States as the architect of this amazing piece of art. The Bean received great appreciation by critics and magazines. New York Times called it a “tourist magnet” and an “extraordinary art project”

The sculpture was inspired by “liquid mercury” and depicts a giant drop of liquid mercury. Kapoor named it “Cloud Gate” because 80% of its surface reflects the sky. However, it has become popular among people as “The Bean” because of its shape. People particularly love to take pictures with their warped reflections on the smooth surface of the Bean. Another reason for its increasing popularity is that its reflecting surface actually seems to be a bend in space and time. It seems to actually bend the Chicago sky-line itself!

Many famous films have also been shot here with the Bean adding to the beauty of the scenes. Some famous movies include “The Vow”, “Source Code”, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, “The Break-Up”, “Dhoom 3” and also in some music videos.
Thus, if you are planning to visit Chicago then make sure to visit Cloud Gate. It will most certainly make your trip memorable.