:Cloud Gate
{{Short description|Sculpture by Anish Kapoor in Chicago, US}}
{{About|the sculpture in Chicago|the modern dance group|Cloud Gate Dance Theater}}
{{Redirect|The Bean|other uses|Bean (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Infobox artwork
| image_file = Cloud Gate (The Bean) from east'.jpg
| image_size = 340px
| caption =
| title = Cloud Gate
| alt = A large, highly-polished, mirrored bean-shaped sculpture seen from the east, reflecting the skyscrapers to the north along East Randolph Street (The Heritage, Smurfit-Stone Building, Two Prudential Plaza, One Prudential Plaza, and Aon Center.
| pushpin_map = Chicago
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chicago
| artist = Anish Kapoor
| year = 2006
| medium = Stainless steel sculpture
| height_metric = 10
| length_metric = 20
| width_metric = 13
| height_imperial = 33
| length_imperial = 66
| width_imperial = 42
| imperial_unit = ft
| metric_unit = m
| city = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| museum = Millennium Park
| coordinates = {{Coord|41.88270|-87.62333|format=dms|region:US-IL_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| website = {{URL|https://millenniumparkfoundation.org/art-architecture/cloud-gate/}}
}}
Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, that is the centerpiece of Grainger Plaza at Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago. Constructed between 2004 and 2006, the sculpture is nicknamed "The Bean" because of its shape, a name Kapoor later grew fond of. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its reflective and highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It measures {{convert|33|by|66|by|42|ft|m}}, and weighs {{convert|110|ST|t LT|0|sp=us}}. The sculpture and its plaza are located above Park Grill, between the Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink.
Kapoor's design was inspired by liquid mercury and the sculpture's surface reflects and distorts the city's skyline and clouds moving overhead. Visitors are able to walk around and under Cloud Gate{{'}}s {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=on}} high arch. On the underside is the "omphalos" (Greek for "navel"), a concave chamber that warps and multiplies reflections. The sculpture builds upon many of Kapoor's artistic themes, and it is popular with tourists as a photo-taking opportunity for its unique reflective properties.
The sculpture was the result of a design competition. After Kapoor's design was chosen, numerous technological concerns regarding the design's construction and assembly arose, in addition to concerns regarding the sculpture's upkeep and maintenance. Various experts were consulted, some of whom believed the design could not be implemented. Eventually, a feasible method was found, but the sculpture's construction fell behind schedule. It was unveiled in an incomplete form during the Millennium Park grand opening celebration in 2004, before being concealed again while it was completed. Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006, and has since gained considerable popularity, both domestically and internationally.
Design
{{Millennium Park Map}}
Lying between Lake Michigan to the east and the Loop to the west, Grant Park has served as Chicago's “front yard” since the mid-19th century. Its northwest corner, north of Monroe Street and the Art Institute, east of Michigan Avenue, south of Randolph Street, and west of Columbus Drive, had been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997, when it was made available for development by the city as Millennium Park.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/books/chapters/0806-1st-gilf.html|title=Millennium Park|access-date=June 24, 2008|date=August 6, 2006|work=The New York Times|author=Gilfoyle, Timothy J.}} In 2007, the park was Chicago's second largest tourist attraction, trailing only Navy Pier.{{cite news|title=Crain's List Largest Tourist Attractions (Sightseeing): Ranked by 2007 attendance|date=June 23, 2008|page=22|publisher=Crain Communications Inc.|work=Crain's Chicago Business}}
In 1999, Millennium Park officials and a group of art collectors, curators and architects reviewed the artistic works of 30 different artists and asked two for proposals. American artist Jeff Koons submitted a proposal to erect a permanent {{convert|150|ft|m|adj=on}} sculpture of a playground slide; his glass and steel design featured an observation deck {{convert|90|ft|m}} above the ground that was accessible via an elevator.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1022E4CA495BDBAC&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Arts & Entertainment|access-date=September 19, 2008|date=April 25, 2004|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Artner, Alan G.}} The committee chose the second design by internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor. Measuring {{convert|33|by|66|by|42|ft|m}} and weighing {{convert|110|ST|t LT|0|sp=us}}, the proposal featured a seamless, stainless steel surface inspired by liquid mercury.Sharoff, p. 61 This mirror-like surface would reflect the Chicago skyline, but its elliptical shape would distort and twist the reflected image.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/63ad44b2-2196-11da-a603-00000e2511c8.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211181206/https://www.ft.com/content/63ad44b2-2196-11da-a603-00000e2511c8|archive-date=December 11, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|title=Classical city soars above Capone clichés|access-date=July 31, 2008|date=September 10, 2005|publisher=The Financial Times Ltd|work=The Financial Times|author1=Daniel, Caroline|author2=Jeremy Grant}} (registration required for entire article)
In the underside of the sculpture is the omphalos, an indentation whose mirrored surface provides multiple reflections of any subject situated beneath it.Gilfoyle, p. 203 The apex of the omphalos is {{convert|27|ft|m|1}} above the ground. The concave underside allows visitors to walk underneath to see the omphalos, and through its arch to the other side so that they view the entire structure.Gilfoyle, p. 261 During the grand opening week in July 2004, press reports described the omphalos as the "spoon-like underbelly".{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:MJGB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10C2CB9D5620505A&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=News|access-date=August 5, 2008|date=July 17, 2004|publisher=Newsbank|work=Journal Gazette (Mattoon, IL)}}{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:SILB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=103E5952C0DDA995&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Bean, fountain highlight park opening|access-date=August 5, 2008|date=July 17, 2004|publisher=Newsbank|work=The Southern Illinoisan}} The stainless steel sculpture was originally envisioned as the centerpiece of the Lurie Garden at the southeast corner of the park. However, Park officials believed the piece was too large for the Lurie Garden and decided to locate it at what is now known as Grainger Plaza, despite Kapoor's objections.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=103FDA0192638D83&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=The Bean's bone of contention|access-date=July 10, 2009|date=July 14, 2004|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Nance, Kevin}} Skyscrapers to the north along East Randolph Street, including The Heritage, the Smurfit-Stone Building, Two Prudential Plaza, One Prudential Plaza, and Aon Center are visible, reflected on both the east and west sides of the sculpture.
Around the structure, its surface acts like a fun-house mirror as it distorts their reflections.
File:Anish Kapoor 2017.jpg's design proposal was chosen over works by 30 different artists.]]
Although Kapoor does not draw with computers, computer modeling was essential to the process of analyzing the complex form,Baume, p. 53 which created numerous issues. Since the sculpture was expected to be outdoors, concerns arose that it might retain and conduct heat in a way that would make it too hot to touch during the summer and so cold that one's tongue might stick to it during the winter. The extreme temperature variation between seasons was also feared to weaken the structure. Graffiti, bird droppings and fingerprints were also potential problems, as they would affect the aesthetics of the surface. The most pressing issue was the need to create a single seamless exterior for the external shell, a feat architect Norman Foster once believed to be nearly impossible.Gilfoyle, p. 202.
While the sculpture was being constructed, public and media outlets nicknamed it "The Bean" because of its shape, a name that Kapoor described as "completely stupid". Months later, Kapoor officially named the piece Cloud Gate.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/arts/art-architecture-big-shoulders-big-donors-big-art.html|title= Art/Architecture; Big Shoulders, Big Donors, Big Art|access-date=June 1, 2008|date=July 18, 2004|author=Bernstein, Fred A.|work=The New York Times}} (Kapoor eventually accepted the nickname of "The Bean".{{cite news|first=Hedy|last=Weiss|title=Anish Kapoor, 'Cloud Gate' artist: 'I call it "The Bean," too'|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/anish-kapoor-cloud-gate-artist-i-call-it-the-bean-too/|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=October 13, 2017|access-date=October 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015203713/https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/anish-kapoor-cloud-gate-artist-i-call-it-the-bean-too/|archive-date=October 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}) Critical reviews describe the sculpture as a passage between realms.Baume, pp. 123–132 Three-quarters of the sculpture's external surface reflects the sky and the name refers to it acting as a type of gate that helps bridge the space between the sky and the viewer.Gilfoyle, pp. 263–4 In 2008, the sculpture and plaza were sometimes referred to jointly as "Cloud Gate on the AT&T Plaza" (as Grainger Plaza was then called). It is Kapoor's first public outdoor work in the United States, and is the work by which he is best known in the country according to the Financial Times.
Construction and maintenance
Image:Cloud gate construction.jpg, on what is now Grainger Plaza.]]
The British engineering firm Atelier One provided the sculpture's structural design,{{Cite book|title=Liquid Threshold|author1=Thomas, Neil |author2=Chadwick, Aran|publisher=Atelier One|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9562563-0-0}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.aerotrope.com/profile.html|title=aerotrope profile|access-date=February 19, 2010|publisher=Aerotrope}} and Performance Structures, Inc. (PSI) was chosen to fabricate it because of their ability to produce nearly invisible welds. The project began with PSI attempting to recreate the design in miniature. A high-density polyurethane foam model was selected by Kapoor, which was then used to design the final structure, including the interior structural components.{{Cite web |url=http://midwest.construction.com/features/archive/0410_feature7-2.asp |access-date=May 31, 2008 |title=Special Project – Chicago's Millennium Park Project |work=McGraw-Hill Construction |author=Steele, Jeffrey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012235350/http://midwest.construction.com/features/archive/0410_feature7-2.asp |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Initially, PSI planned to build and assemble the sculpture in Oakland, California, and ship it to Chicago through the Panama Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway. However, this plan was discarded after park officials deemed it too risky, so the decision was made to transport the individual panels by truck and to assemble the structure on-site, a task undertaken by MTH Industries.{{cite journal|author=Schulze, Franz|date=November 2004|title=Sunday afternoon in the Cyber-Age Park: the city's new greensward features Frank Gehny's latest, plus "interactive" sculptural works by Jaume Plensa and Anish Kapoor |journal=Art in America|pages=66–69}}Sharoff, p. 55.
The sculpture's weight raised concerns. Estimating the thickness of the steel needed to create the sculpture's desired aesthetics before fabrication was difficult.Gilfoyle, p. 165. Cloud Gate was originally estimated to weigh {{convert|60|ST|t LT|0|sp=us}} when completed.Gilfoyle, p. 402. However, the final figure was almost twice as heavy at {{convert|110|ST|t LT|0|sp=us}}. This extra weight required engineers to reconsider the sculpture's supporting structures. The roof of the Park Grill, upon which Cloud Gate sits, had to be built strong enough to bear the weight. The large retaining wall separating Chicago's Metra train tracks from the North Grant Park garage supports much of the weight of the sculpture and forms the back side of the restaurant. This wall, along with the rest of the garage's foundation, required additional bracing before the piece was erected. Cloud Gate is further buttressed by lateral members underneath the plaza that are anchored to the sculpture's interior structure by tie rods.
Inside Cloud Gate
When Cloud Gate's interior components were completed, construction crews prepared to work on the outer shell; this comprises 168 stainless steel panels, each {{convert|3/8|in|mm|0}} thick and weighing {{convert|1000|to|2000|lb|kg|lk=on}}. They were fabricated using three-dimensional modeling software. Computers and robots were essential in the bending and shaping of the plates, which was performed by English wheel and a robotic scanning device.Sharoff, p. 56 Metal stiffeners were welded to each panel's interior face to provide a small degree of rigidity. About a third of the plates, along with the entire interior structure, were fabricated in Oakland. The plates were polished to 98 percent of their final state and covered with protective white film before being sent to Chicago via trucks. Once in Chicago, the plates were welded together on-site, creating 2,442 linear feet (744 m) of welded seams.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/chi-0508240314aug24,0,1725342.story |access-date=June 3, 2008 |date=August 24, 2005 |title=Making it shine |work=Chicago Tribune |author=Nunn, Emily}} Welders used keyhole welding machines rather than traditional welding guns. The plates were fabricated so precisely that no on-site cutting or filing was necessary when lifting and fitting them into position.
When construction of the shell began in June 2004, a large tent was erected around the piece to shield it from public view.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/Gehry/kapoor.htm |access-date=May 31, 2008 |title=A photo essay on the making of Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park |work=Repeat |author=Becker, Lynn |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602021642/http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/Gehry/kapoor.htm |archive-date=June 2, 2008 }} Construction began with the omphalos, where plates were attached to the supporting internal steel structure, from the inside (underside) of the sculpture downward to the outermost surfaces.Gilfoyle, p. 204. This sequence caused the structure to resemble a large sombrero when the bottom was complete.Gilfoyle, p. 206.
The shell of Cloud Gate was fully erected for the grand opening of Millennium Park on July 15, 2004, although it was unpolished and thus unfinished, because its assembly had fallen behind schedule. The piece was temporarily uncovered on July 8 for the opening, although Kapoor was unhappy with this as it allowed the public to see the sculpture in an unfinished state.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/636/Cloud_Gate.php |access-date=June 1, 2008 |title=Cloud Gate |work=Chicago Architecture Info |archive-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122005607/https://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/636/Cloud_Gate.php |url-status=dead }} The original plan was to re-erect the tent around the sculpture for polishing on July 24, but public appreciation for the piece convinced park officials to leave it uncovered for several months. The tent was again erected in January 2005 as a 24-person crew from Ironworkers Local 63 polished the seams between each plate.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/la-tr-shot2jan02,0,2354484.story |access-date=June 1, 2008 |title=A place to reflect in Chicago |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 2, 2005}} In order to grind, sand and polish the seams, six levels of scaffolding were erected around the sides of the sculpture, while climbing ropes and harnesses were used to polish harder-to-reach areas. When the upper and side portions of the shell were completed, the tent was once again removed in August 2005. On October 3, the omphalos was closed off as workers polished the final section.{{Cite web |url=http://www.millenniumpark.org/newsandmedia/documents/CloudGateUntenting.pdf |access-date=June 1, 2008 |title=Cloud Gate Sculpture in Millennium Park to be Completely Untented by Sunday, August 28 |work=Millennium Park |date=August 18, 2005 |author=Ryan, Karen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612233519/http://millenniumpark.org/newsandmedia/documents/CloudGateUntenting.pdf |archive-date=June 12, 2010 }} Every weld on the Cloud Gate underwent a five-stage process, required to produce the sculpture's mirror-like finish.
| class="wikitable"
|+ |
| Stage
! Name ! Equipment used ! Sandpaper type ! Purpose |
|---|
| align=center|1
| Rough cut | {{convert|5|lb|adj=on}}, 4½-inch (110 mm) electric grinder | 40-grit | Removed welded seams |
| align=center|2
| Initial contour | {{convert|15|lb|adj=on}}, {{convert|2|in|adj=on}}, air-driven belt sander | 80-grit, 100-grit and 120-grit | Shaped the weld contours |
| align=center|3
| Sculpting | air-driven {{convert|10|lb|adj=on}}, {{convert|1|in|adj=on}} belt sander | 80-grit, 120-grit, 240-grit and 400-grit | Smoothed the weld contours |
| align=center|4
| Refining | 400-grit, 600-grit and 800-grit | Removed the fine scratches that were left from the sculpting stage |
| align=center|5
| Polishing | {{convert|10|in|adj=on}} electric buffing wheel | {{convert|10|lb}} of rouge | Buffed and polished the surface to a mirror-like finish |
Cloud Gate was finally completed on August 28, 2005, and officially unveiled on May 15, 2006.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0407150271jul15-story.html?outputType=amp |access-date=June 29, 2008 |date=July 15, 2004 |title=Chicago finds 'bean' meets taste test – Sculpture reflects positively on city |work=Chicago Tribune |last=Yates |first=Jon}}{{cite episode |url=http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=28,3,1,1&Date=05%2F15%2F2006&et=%20-%20Week%20Of%20May%2015%2C%202006
|title=The Bean Unveiled
|series=Chicago Tonight
|airdate=May 15, 2006
|station=WTTW
|location=Chicago
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003165049/http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=28%2C3%2C1%2C1&Date=05%2F15%2F2006&et=%20-%20Week%20Of%20May%2015%2C%202006
|archive-date=October 3, 2009
}} The cost for the piece was first estimated at $6 million; this had escalated to $11.5 million by the time the park opened in 2004,{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-07-11-0407110234-story.html|title=City to finally open its new front yard – Millennium Park's price tag tripled|access-date=April 17, 2021|date=July 11, 2004|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Ford, Liam}} with the final figure standing at $23 million in 2006.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=111A6B0D317F3ED5&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Bean's gleam has creator beaming – Artist Anish Kapoor admits being surprised by aspects of 'Cloud Gate' at Monday's dedication ceremony in Millennium Park |access-date=July 17, 2008|date=May 16, 2006|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Ahmed-Ullah, Noreen S.}} No public funds were involved; all funding came from donations from individuals and corporations.
Kapoor's contract states that the constructed piece should be expected to survive for 1,000 years.{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4e9b38cc-d9e9-11d8-a9eb-00000e2511c8.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211181220/https://www.ft.com/content/4e9b38cc-d9e9-11d8-a9eb-00000e2511c8|archive-date=December 11, 2022|title=How a steel bean gave Chicago fresh pride|access-date=August 7, 2008|date=July 20, 2004|publisher=The Financial Times Ltd|work=The Financial Times|author=Daniel, Caroline|url-access=registration|url-status=live}} The lower {{convert|6|ft|m}} of Cloud Gate is wiped down twice a day by hand, while the entire sculpture is cleaned twice a year with {{convert|40|U.S.gal|impgal L}} of liquid detergent. The daily cleanings use a Windex-like solution, while the semi-annual cleanings use Tide.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/wgntv-news-060607bean,0,4457515.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209085840/http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/wgntv-news-060607bean,0,4457515.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 9, 2012 |access-date=June 1, 2008 |title=Clean the Bean |work=WGN-TV |date=August 18, 2005 |author=Bange, Jackie }} A notable February 2009 incident saw two names etched in letters about {{convert|1|in|mm}} tall on the northeast side of the curved sculpture. The graffiti was removed by the same firm that did the original polishing.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=12626166489887F0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Someone scratched the Bean's surface – Authorities say vandalism rare, and this instance is easy to fix |access-date=May 14, 2009|date=February 4, 2009|work=Chicago Tribune|author1=Artner, Alan G. |author2=Rex W. Huppke}}
In August 2023, the City of Chicago began renovation and construction work on Grainger Plaza, which also closed public access to Cloud Gate. The work involved accessibility improvements, including ramps and new steps, replacing pavers, and waterproofing. After being behind fencing for most of a year, the sculpture was reopened to the public on June 23, 2024.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/06/13/chicagos-iconic-bean-sculpture-to-fully-reopen-to-visitors-city-says/|title=Chicago’s iconic Bean sculpture to fully reopen to visitors, city says|access-date=June 23, 2024|date=June 13, 2024|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Kubzansky, Caroline}}{{cite news|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2024/06/23/bean-reopens-construction-millennium-park-chicago|title=The Bean reopens following months of construction: The city began construction on Grainger Plaza in August 2023, limiting access to the popular sculpture in Millennium Park. |access-date=June 23, 2024|date=June 23, 2024|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Sun Times staff}}
Reception
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the day of the sculpture's dedication, May 15, 2006, to be "Cloud Gate Day". Kapoor attended the celebration, while local jazz trumpeter and bandleader Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic played "Fanfare for Cloud Gate", which Davis composed.{{Cite web|url=http://audio.wbez.org/848/2006/05/848_20060515b.mp3|title=Cloud Gate Day|date=June 15, 2006|work=Chicago Public Radio|access-date=May 2, 2008|author=Lifson, Edward|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910135209/http://audio.wbez.org/848/2006/05/848_20060515b.mp3|archive-date=September 10, 2008}} The public took an instant liking to the sculpture, affectionately referring to it as "The Bean".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/arts/design/20kenn.html|title=A Most Public Artist Polishes a New York Image|access-date=June 2, 2008|date=August 20, 2006|work=The New York Times|author=Kennedy, Randy}} Cloud Gate has become a popular piece of public art{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/arts/design/30kapo.html|title=Sculptor as Magician|access-date=June 3, 2008|date=May 30, 2008|work=The New York Times|author=Smith, Roberta}} and is now a fixture on many souvenirs such as postcards, sweatshirts, and posters.{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Chicago-s-architectural-razzmatazz-New-or-old-2515727.php|title=Chicago's architectural razzmatazz: New or old, skyscrapers reflect city's brash and playful character|access-date=September 23, 2013|date=July 30, 2006|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc.|work=San Francisco Chronicle|author=King, John}} The sculpture has attracted a large number of locals, tourists, and art aficionados from around the world.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/arts/25weekahead.html|title=The Week Ahead: May 25–31|access-date=June 2, 2008|date=May 25, 2008|work=The New York Times|author=Kennedy, Randy}} The sculpture is now the piece by which Kapoor is most identified in the United States.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1594123,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221104508/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1594123,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 21, 2007|title=Thinking Way Out of the Box|access-date=July 7, 2008|date=February 27, 2007|publisher=Time Inc.|magazine=Time|author=Lacayo, Richard}}
Time describes the piece as an essential photo opportunity, and more of a destination than a work of art. The New York Times writes that it is both a "tourist magnet" and an "extraordinary art object",{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/13/us/letter-from-chicago-a-prized-project-a-mayor-and-persistent-criticism.html|title= Letter From Chicago; A Prized Project, a Mayor and Persistent Criticism|access-date=July 30, 2008|date=July 13, 2004|author=Kinzer, Stephen|work=The New York Times}} while USA Today refers to the sculpture as a monumental abstract work.{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/687931411.html?dids=687931411:687931411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+3%2C+2004&author=&pub=USA+TODAY&edition=&startpage=D.08&desc=What+have+artists+wrought+from+9%2F11%3F|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917210849/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/687931411.html?dids=687931411:687931411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+3%2C+2004&author=&pub=USA+TODAY&edition=&startpage=D.08&desc=What+have+artists+wrought+from+9%2F11%3F|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 17, 2009|title=What have artists wrought from 9/11?|access-date=July 31, 2008|date=September 3, 2004|work=USA Today}} Chicago art critic Edward Lifson considers Cloud Gate to be among the greatest pieces of public art in the world. The American Welding Society recognized Cloud Gate, MTH Industries and PSI with the group's Extraordinary Welding Award.{{Cite web|url=http://www.usgnn.com/newsAWS20071002.htm |title=AWS Honors MTH and Others for Work on Cloud Gate Project|publisher=Key Communications, Inc./The USGlass News Network|work=USGlass Magazine|access-date=June 2, 2008}} Time named Millennium Park one of the ten best architectural achievements of 2004, citing Cloud Gate as one of the park's major attractions.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/bestandworst/2004/arch.html|title=The Best Architecture|access-date=June 3, 2008|publisher=Time Inc.|magazine=Time|author=Lacayo, Richard| date=December 18, 2004|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510154129/http://www.time.com/time/bestandworst/2004/arch.html |archive-date=May 10, 2008}}
{{Quote box
| quote = What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline ... so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around.
| source = —Anish Kapoor{{Cite web|url=http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html |access-date=May 31, 2008 |title=Cloud Gate on the AT&T Plaza |work=Millennium Park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519233729/http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html |archive-date=May 19, 2008}}
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When the park first opened in 2004, Metra police stopped a Columbia College Chicago journalism student who was working on a photography project in Millennium Park and confiscated his film because of fears of terrorism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/07/19/cops-seize-college-photographers-film/|title=Cops seize college photographer's film|access-date=2010-06-23|date=2004-07-19|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Kim, Gina}} In 2005, the sculpture attracted some controversy when a professional photographer without a paid permit was denied access to the piece.{{Cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0330/p15s01-usju.html |title=Who owns public art? |date=March 30, 2005|access-date=May 2, 2007|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|author=Kleiman, Kelly}} As is the case for all works of art currently covered by United States copyright law, the artist holds the copyright for the sculpture. This allows the public to freely photograph Cloud Gate, but permission from Kapoor or the City of Chicago (which has licensed the art) is required for any commercial reproductions of the photographs. The city first set a policy of collecting permit fees for photographs. These permits were initially set at $350 per day for professional still photographers, $1,200 per day for professional videographers and $50 per hour for wedding photographers. The policy has been changed so permits are only required for large-scale film, video and photography requiring ten-person crews and equipment.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10A5BD923068F0C3&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Millennium Park loosens its photo rules|access-date=July 27, 2008|date=May 27, 2005|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Storch, Charles}}
In addition to restricting photography of public art, closing a public park for a private event has also been controversial. In 2005 and 2006, almost all of Millennium Park was closed for a day for corporate events. On both occasions, as one of the park's primary attractions, Cloud Gate was the focus of controversy. On September 8, 2005, Toyota Motor Sales USA paid $800,000 to rent most venues in the park including Cloud Gate and the surrounding AT&T Plaza from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10C8591BB16FF1E0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=No Walk In The Park – Toyota VIPs receive Millennium Park 's red-carpet treatment; everyone else told to just keep on going |access-date=July 26, 2008|date=September 9, 2005|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Ahmed-Ullah, Noreen S.}}{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=109EF4F4D7BED508&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=This Sept. 8, No Bean For You – Unless you're a Toyota dealer. In that case, feel free to frolic because the carmaker paid $800,000 to own the park for the day |access-date=July 26, 2008|date=May 6, 2005|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Dardick, Hal}} On August 7, 2006, Allstate paid $700,000 to rent the park. For this price, Allstate acquired the visitation rights to a different set of features and only had exclusive access to Cloud Gate after 4 p.m.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11167CB33A2C26A0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Allstate pays $200,000 to book Millennium Park for one day |access-date=July 26, 2008|date=May 4, 2006|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Herrmann, Andrew}} These corporate closures denied tourists access to Kapoor's public sculpture, and commuters who walk through the park were forced to take alternative routes. City officials stated that the money would help finance free public programs in Millennium Park.
In 2015, a sculpture similar to Cloud Gate was reported in Karamay, China at the site of an oil discovery, which according to Eduardo Peñalver, the Dean of Cornell Law School, "very probably" is a copyright infringement against Cloud Gate.{{cite news|title=The Bean and the Bubble|newspaper=The Economist|date=1 Aug 2015|page=27}} Though designed to resemble an oil bubble, Kapoor hoped that legal action would be taken against what he termed a Chinese knockoff.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3995636/anish-kapoor-bean-china-cloud-gate-xinjiang/|title=A New Public Sculpture in China Looks Just Like Chicago's Iconic Cloud Gate |access-date=August 13, 2015|date=December 4, 2015|magazine=Time|author=Plucinska, Joanna}} Mayor Rahm Emanuel was less concerned and said that it was a flattering imitation.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/08/14/cloud-gate-gate-artist-refutes-chicago-mayor-over-china-art/|title='Cloud Gate'-Gate: Artist Refutes Chicago Mayor over China Art |access-date=August 14, 2015|date=December 4, 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal|author=Felicia Sonmez}}
A movement to "Windex the Bean" was started in 2017, with the premise that the sculpture is dirty and needs to be cleaned. Posted as an event on Facebook, over 2000 people marked themselves as "going". The post also spawned a variety of similar joke movements.{{cite web|url=http://wgntv.com/2017/10/26/are-these-chicagoans-really-going-to-windex-the-bean/|title=Are these Chicagoans really going to Windex the Bean?|access-date=November 14, 2017|date=October 26, 2017|publisher=WGN|last=Smith|first=Erika June}}{{Cite web |last=Feldman |first=Brian |date=2018-02-22 |title=Chicago’s Bean Is the Site of a Months-Long Meme War |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/02/chicago-bean-meme-cloud-gate-anish-kapoor.html |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=Intelligencer |language=en-us}}
Artistic themes
=Relevant Kapoor themes=
{{Quote box
| quote = I hope what I have done is make a serious work, which deals with serious questions about form, public space and an object in space. You can capture the popular imagination and hold other points of interest, but that is not what I set out to do, although there is inevitably a certain spectacular in an object like this.
| source = —Anish Kapoor
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Anish Kapoor has a reputation for creating spectacles in urban settings by producing works of extreme size and scale.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/89e6e5fe-39ab-11dd-90d7-0000779fd2ac.html?|title=Innies and outies|access-date=July 31, 2008|date=June 14, 2008|publisher=The Financial Times Ltd|work=The Financial Times|author=Budick, Ariella}} Before creating Cloud Gate, Kapoor had created art that distorted images of the viewer instead of portraying images of its own. In doing so, he acquired experience blurring the boundary between the limit and the limitless.Gilfoyle, p. 267. Kapoor drew on past experience to design Cloud Gate, in particular the designing of Sky Mirror (2001), a {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on}} {{convert|10|ST|t LT|0|adj=on|sp=us}} concave stainless steel mirror that also used a theme of distorted perception on a grand scale.
Kapoor's objects often aim to evoke immateriality and the spiritual, an outcome he achieves either by carving dark voids into stone pieces, or more recently, through the sheer shine and reflectivity of his objects. His works have no fixed identity, but rather occupy an illusionary space that is consistent with eastern theologies shared by Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism, as well as Albert Einstein's views of a non-three-dimensional world. Kapoor explores the theme of ambiguity with his works that place the viewer in a state of "in-betweenness". The artist often questions and plays with such dualities as solidity–emptiness or reality–reflection, which in turn allude to such paired opposites as flesh–spirit, the here–the beyond, east–west, sky–earth, etc. that create the conflict between internal and external, superficial and subterranean, and conscious and unconscious. Kapoor also creates a tension between masculine and feminine within his art by having concave points of focus that invite the entry of visitors and multiplies their images when they are positioned correctly.Gilfoyle, pp. 271–2.
=''Cloud Gate'' themes=
Kapoor often speaks of removing both the signature of the artist from his works as well as any traces of their fabrication, or what he refers to as "traces of the hand". He aspires to make his works look like they have independent realities that he reveals rather than creates. For him, removing all the seams from Cloud Gate was necessary in order to make the sculpture seem as though it was "perfect" and ready-made. These effects increase the viewer's fascination with it and makes them wonder what it is and where it came from. His attempts to hide his works' seams as an artist stand in contrast to Frank Gehry's architectural designs in the park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Pedestrian Bridge, which display their seams prominently.
Cloud Gate is described as a transformative, iconic work.Baume, p. 9 It is similar to many of Kapoor's previous works in the themes and issues it addresses. While the sculpture's mirror effects are reminiscent of fun-house fairground mirrors, they also have a more serious intent; they help dematerialize this very large object, making it seem light and almost weightless.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1812056,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612125038/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1812056,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2008|title=Anish Kapoor: Past, Present, Future|access-date=July 6, 2008|date=June 5, 2008|publisher=Time Inc.|magazine=Time|author=Lacayo, Richard}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995369,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909135523/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995369,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 9, 2009|title=Windy City Redux|access-date=June 3, 2008|publisher=Time Inc.|magazine=Time|author=Roston, Eric|date=October 11, 2004}} Cloud Gate is considered Kapoor's most ambitious use of complex mirrored form dynamics.Baume, p. 18 Kapoor challenges his viewers to internalize his work through intellectual and theoretical exercise. By reflecting the sky, visiting and non-visiting pedestrians and surrounding architecture, Cloud Gate limits its viewers to partial comprehension at any time. The interaction with the viewer who moves to create his own vision gives it a spiritual dimension.Gilfoyle, p. 264. The sculpture is described as a disembodied, luminous form, which is also how his earlier 1000 Names (1979–80) was described when it addressed the metaphysical and mystical.Gilfoyle, p. 265.
The viewer physically enters the art when walking underneath into its "navel". The omphalos is a "warped dimension of fluid space". In this dimension, solid is transformed into fluid in a disorienting multiplicative manner that intensifies the experience. It is emblematic of Kapoor's work to deconstruct empirical space and venture into manifold possibilities of abstract space. The experience is described as a displaced or virtual depth that is composed of multiplied surfaces.Baume, p. 26
According to project manager Lou Cerny of MTH Industries, "When the light is right, you can't see where the sculpture ends and the sky begins."Sharoff, p. 45 The sculpture challenges perception by distorting and deforming the surrounding architecture.Jodidio, pp. 120–122 The skyscrapers along East Randolph Street to the northeast (Two Prudential Plaza, and Aon Center), north (One Prudential Plaza) and northwest (The Heritage, Crain Communications Building) are reflected on Cloud Gate's surface when viewed from either the east or the west. The sculpture also warps viewers' perception of time by changing the speed of movements such as the passing of clouds.
Although in the conventional sense Cloud Gate is not an opening that leads anywhere in the same way that monumental gates do, it frames a view and is celebratory in the way it creates a ceremonial place. The work is credited with achieving a new level or understanding described as a transubstantiation of material, reminiscent of that which the artist experienced during a 1979 trip to India. Kapoor's 1000 Names evolved immediately after this trip; twenty-five years later he created Cloud Gate, an object that emerged from material forms to become immaterial.
Kapoor often relies on tenets of Hinduism in his art and says that "The experience of opposites allows for the expression of wholeness." Primal dualities that are one, such as the lingam and yoni, are important to Indian culture, and Cloud Gate represents both the male and female in one entity by symbolizing both the vagina and testicles. Thus, it represents the tension between the masculine and the feminine.
In popular culture
The sculpture has been used as a backdrop in commercial films, notably in the 2006 Hollywood film The Break-Up, which had to reshoot several scenes because the sculpture was under cover for the initial filming.{{cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=110AF1D246501AA8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Vaughn, Aniston frolic under Cloud cover|access-date=July 31, 2008|date=March 30, 2006|publisher=Newsbank|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Zwecker, Bill}} It is also prominently featured in the ending scene of Source Code. Director Duncan Jones felt the structure was a metaphor for the movie's subject matter and aimed for it to be shown at the beginning and end of the movie.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/living/ct-xpm-2011-04-01-ct-ae-0403-dean-richards-20110401-story.html|title=Gyllenhaal says the 'Bean' could be metaphor for 'Source Code'|access-date=2011-05-20|date=2011-04-01|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Richards, Dean}} The sculpture served as an aesthetic and symbolic setting for the 2012 film The Vow when the lead characters share a kiss under it.{{cite web|url=http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/entertainment/virtusio/10781946-452/movies-the-vow-and-films-for-hopeless-romantics.html|title=Movies: 'The Vow' and films for hopeless romantics|access-date=2012-03-05|date=2012-02-22|work=SouthtownStar|publisher=Sun-Times Media Group|last=Virtusio|first=Jessi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719092231/http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/entertainment/virtusio/10781946-452/movies-the-vow-and-films-for-hopeless-romantics.html|archive-date=2012-07-19}}{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-02-10/specialsection/fl-tl-rev-thevow-20120210_1_rachel-mcadams-paige-channing-tatum|title='The Vow' is real, defining|access-date=2012-03-05|date=2012-02-10|work=Sun-Sentinel|publisher=Tribune Company|last=Cave|first=Anthony|archive-date=2015-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016220836/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-02-10/specialsection/fl-tl-rev-thevow-20120210_1_rachel-mcadams-paige-channing-tatum|url-status=dead}} It also appears in the video to "Homecoming", a song by Chicago native Kanye West, featuring Chris Martin of the band Coldplay.{{cite web|url=http://www.wbez.org/bey/2010/04/hip-hops-view-of-chicago-architecture/21039|title=Hip-hop's view of Chicago architecture|access-date=2012-07-10|date=2010-04-23|publisher=WBEZ|last=Bey|first=Lee|archive-date=2011-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806102737/http://www.wbez.org/bey/2010/04/hip-hops-view-of-chicago-architecture/21039|url-status=dead}} The sculpture is also featured in the 2008 mumblecore film Nights and Weekends. It was also featured in the Bollywood film Dhoom 3{{cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/24449129-421/chicago-takes-starring-role-in-dhoom-3.html|title=Chicago takes starring role in 'Dhoom 3'|access-date=2013-12-24|date=2013-12-19|work=Chicago Sun-Times}} and the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth installment in the Transformers series.{{cite web|url=http://voices.suntimes.com/arts-entertainment/the-daily-sizzle/grammer-stars-in-huge-weekend-hit/|title=Grammer stars in huge weekend hit|access-date=2014-10-05|date=2014-06-29|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Zwecker, Bill|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006071018/http://voices.suntimes.com/arts-entertainment/the-daily-sizzle/grammer-stars-in-huge-weekend-hit/|archive-date=2014-10-06}} A modified reproduction of Cloud Gate is also included in Watch Dogs, a video game released in 2014 that takes place in Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/games/watch-dogs-review-ubisoft-techno-thriller-compels-until-guns-drawn/|title='Watch Dogs' review: Ubisoft techno thriller compels until guns drawn|access-date=2014-06-03|date=2014-05-31|work=Los Angeles Times|last=Martens|first=Todd}} Unlike the real sculpture, the in-game replica is a curved, white torus.{{cite web|url=https://financialpost.com/technology/gaming/watch-dogs-chicago-vs-the-real-windy-city-a-comparison-in-pictures|title=Watch Dogs vs Real Life Chicago Comparison Screens Shows Astonishing Replica Of Real World In Video Games|access-date=May 17, 2022|date=May 28, 2014|work=Financial Post}}
Cloud Gate plays a prominent role in Battle Ground, the 17th title in the Dresden Files urban fantasy novel series by Jim Butcher. In the Chicago of the novels, the sculpture was commissioned by Queen Mab, ruler of the Winter Court of Faerie, and proves to be hiding a large stockpile of armaments. Its placement by the Winter Court was in anticipation of a massive supernatural attack on the city of Chicago.{{cite book |last=Butcher |first= Jim|author-link=Jim Butcher |date=2020 |title=Battle Ground |url= https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/battle-ground-17|location=London, UK |publisher=Little, Brown Book Group |page= |isbn=978-0-5931-9930-5}}
=Lawsuit against National Rifle Association=
A June 2017 video by the National Rifle Association (NRA) entitled The Clenched Fist of Truth used an image of Cloud Gate. Anish Kapoor sued the NRA to stop running the video, pay any profits gained as a result of the video, compensate him for statutory damages equivalent to $150,000 per infringement, and attorney fees.{{cite web |url=https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/6/20/17484318/anish-kapoor-cloud-gate-nra-lawsuit |title=Artist Anish Kapoor sues NRA for using 'The Bean' in promotional video |access-date=June 21, 2018|date=June 20, 2018|publisher=VOX Media |author=Kozlarz, Jay}} The suit was settled in December 2018 with the removal of the image from the NRA video.{{cite web |url=https://news.wttw.com/2018/12/10/nra-settles-lawsuit-bean-artist |title=NRA Settles Lawsuit with 'The Bean' Artist |access-date=2019-12-11 }}{{cite web |author1=Jack Guy |title=NRA settles legal battle with artist Anish Kapoor over 'abhorrent' video |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/anish-kapoor-nra-scli-intl/index.html |website=CNN Style |publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207015921/https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/anish-kapoor-nra-scli-intl/index.html |archive-date=7 December 2018 |language=English |date=6 December 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Sculptor Anish Kapoor forces gun group NRA to cut his art from video |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46469881 |website=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206222231/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46469881 |archive-date=6 December 2018 |language=English |date=6 December 2018 |url-status=live}}
See also
- List of public art in Chicago
- Cloud Column, 2006 sculpture by the same artist
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=References cited=
- {{Cite book|title=Anish Kapoor: Past Present Future|author=Baume, Nicholas|publisher=The MIT Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-262-02659-8}}
- {{Cite book|title=Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark|author=Gilfoyle, Timothy J.|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=978-0-226-29349-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/millenniumparkcr00gilf}}
- {{Cite book|title=Architecture: Art|author=Jodidio, Philip|publisher=Prestel|year=2005|isbn=3-7913-3279-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/architectureart0000jodi}}
- {{Cite book|title=Better than Perfect: The Making of Chicago's Millennium Park|author=Sharoff, Robert|publisher=Walsh Construction Company|year=2004}}
- {{Cite book|title=Liquid Threshold|author1=Thomas, Neil |author2=Chadwick, Aran|publisher=Atelier One|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9562563-0-0}}
External links
- [http://anishkapoor.com/210/Cloud-Gate.html Cloud Gate on Anish Kapoor's website]
- [http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html City of Chicago Millennium Park]
- [http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/dca/Millennium%20Park/MPMap1000.png Millennium Park map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711033448/http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/dca/Millennium%20Park/MPMap1000.png |date=2017-07-11 }}
- [http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Maps/Community_Areas/CA_LOOP.pdf City of Chicago Loop Community Map]
- [http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_-artarchitecture.html#cloud Cloud Gate at Millennium Park, City of Chicago] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211235752/https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_-artarchitecture.html#cloud |date=2018-02-11 }} – Images and description of Kapoor's public sculpture
- {{ChicagoTribuneKeyword}}
{{Geographic location
| Center = Cloud Gate
| Northeast = Chase Promenade
| East = Chase Promenade
| Southwest = Crown Fountain
| West = McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink
| Southeast = Chase Promenade
| Northwest = Wrigley Square
| North = Boeing Gallery
| South = Boeing Gallery
}}
{{Anish Kapoor}}
{{Grant Park}}
{{Millennium Park}}
{{Public art in Chicago}}
Category:2006 establishments in Illinois
Category:British contemporary works of art
Category:Buildings and structures celebrating the third millennium
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 2006
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Chicago
Category:Sculptures by Anish Kapoor
Category:Stainless steel sculptures in the United States