7 Shocking Facts And Latest Updates On Chicago's Cloud Gate (The Anish Kapoor 'Bean' Sculpture)

The "Bean" in Chicago, officially known as Cloud Gate, remains one of the world's most recognizable and photographed pieces of public art, but its story is far more complex and current than a simple tourist attraction. As of December 2025, the iconic, seamless stainless steel sculpture continues to draw millions to Millennium Park, yet its creator, Anish Kapoor, has recently been thrust back into the spotlight over the use and misuse of his monumental work.

From lawsuits against the NRA to recent condemnations of government agencies using the sculpture as a photo-op backdrop, the 110-ton elliptical structure is not just a Chicago landmark; it is an active participant in global cultural and political discourse. This deep dive explores the latest news, the fascinating engineering, and the full biography of the visionary artist behind the reflective masterpiece.

The Visionary: Sir Anish Kapoor, CBE RA (Full Biography Profile)

The man behind the mirror-like surface of Cloud Gate is Sir Anish Kapoor, a sculptor whose work constantly challenges perception, space, and form. His career is marked by large-scale, often controversial, installations that explore deep voids, vibrant pigments, and highly polished, reflective surfaces. Here is a detailed profile of the artist:

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• Full Name: Sir Anish Mikhail Kapoor CBE RA.
• Born: March 12, 1954, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
• Nationality: Indian-born British.
• Education: Attended The Doon School (India), Hornsey College of Art, and Chelsea School of Art and Design (London).
• Art Style: Conceptual Art, Installation Art, specializing in abstract biomorphic forms and highly reflective or deeply pigmented surfaces.
• Key Awards: Turner Prize (1991), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, 2003), Knight Bachelor (2013).
• Other Famous Works: Marsyas (Tate Modern, London), Sky Mirror (Nottingham), Turning the World Inside Out, and the controversial ArcelorMittal Orbit (London Olympic Park).
• Noteworthy Controversy: Kapoor holds exclusive rights to use Vantablack, the blackest substance known, which has sparked significant debate in the art world.

The Latest Cloud Gate Controversies: Why Anish Kapoor is 'Horrified' (2024–2025 Updates)

While the Bean is a magnet for joyous selfies, the artist has repeatedly taken a strong stance against the use of his art for political or military purposes, making the sculpture an unlikely flashpoint for current events.

The Border Patrol Photo-Op Condemnation

In a significant recent development, Anish Kapoor expressed his "deep horror" and sadness after a photograph circulated showing a group of armed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents posing in front of Cloud Gate. This incident, which gained traction in late 2024, prompted the artist to consider legal action against the agency for the unauthorized and politically charged use of his work.

Kapoor argued that the image—featuring agents in tactical gear—was a misuse of the public art, stating that such a display in front of his reflective work was symptomatic of a "fascist America". This reaction highlights the artist's view of his sculpture as a space for public reflection, not a prop for militaristic display.

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The NRA Lawsuit Precedent

This is not the first time Kapoor has defended his artwork's integrity. In 2018, he filed a lawsuit against the National Rifle Association (NRA) after they used an image of the Bean in a pro-gun campaign video. Kapoor argued the use was unauthorized and defamatory. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court, setting a precedent for the artist's fierce protection of his intellectual property and the public perception of his work.

The Temporary Closure for Maintenance

In another recent event affecting public access, a temporary closure of Grainger Plaza—the area immediately surrounding the sculpture—was enforced in late 2023 and early 2024 to allow for necessary maintenance and repairs. While access has since been restored (as of the current date), the brief interruption was a major news story for Chicago tourism, underscoring just how integral the Bean is to the city's daily life and tourist economy.

The Engineering Marvel: Secrets of the Seamless 110-Ton Cloud Gate

Beyond its artistic statement, the Chicago Bean is a triumph of modern engineering. Its seamless, highly polished surface gives the illusion of a single, fluid object, a feat that required revolutionary construction techniques.

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Fact 1: The Official Name is a Poetic Description

While everyone calls it "The Bean," the official name is Cloud Gate. Kapoor chose the name because the sculpture's highly reflective surface—made of stainless steel—gathers and distorts the Chicago skyline and the clouds above, acting as a gateway between the earth and the sky.

Fact 2: A Leviathan of Stainless Steel

The sculpture is massive. It stands 33 feet (10 meters) high, is 66 feet (20 meters) long, and 42 feet (13 meters) wide. Its total weight is approximately 110 short tons (100 metric tons). It is one of the largest permanent outdoor art installations globally.

Fact 3: The Seamless Finish Was a Nightmare

The most distinctive feature is its lack of visible seams. The sculpture is composed of 168 separate stainless steel plates. The final, painstaking process involved welding these plates together and then polishing the exterior by hand to create a single, monolithic, mirror-like surface. This process was so challenging that the initial construction company left the project, and the final polishing took months longer than anticipated.

Fact 4: Built Over a Train Line

Millennium Park, where Cloud Gate resides, is unique because it is constructed atop a massive underground parking garage and an active commuter rail line. The entire structure had to be engineered to withstand the movement and weight without cracking the plaza or damaging the delicate sculpture, which is why it weighs so much—to stabilize it against the forces below.

Fact 5: The Hidden Structure

Inside the sculpture is a complex, latticework steel frame that supports the 110 tons of steel plate, similar to the framework of a skyscraper. This internal structure is crucial for maintaining the precise elliptical shape and preventing the thin steel skin from buckling under its own weight or environmental factors.

Fact 6: The "Omphalos" Effect

The most popular feature is the concave chamber underneath the sculpture, known as the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"). The omphalos creates a mind-bending, multi-directional reflection that distorts and multiplies the viewer’s image, making it the perfect spot for the famous "Bean selfie."

Fact 7: Part of a Larger Architectural Masterpiece

Cloud Gate is just one jewel in the crown of Millennium Park, which was master-planned by a team of renowned architects and designers. Key neighboring features that contribute to the park's topical authority include the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, and the Crown Fountain, designed by Jaume Plensa. The Bean is a critical component of Mayor Richard Daley’s vision to "green" the Chicago waterfront.