No trip to Chicago is complete without seeing The Bean or 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.
The Bean’s reflective surface was inspired by liquid mercury. The surface reflects the surrounding architecture and makes the crowds gathering at its base look like ants. The sculpture is a selfie magnet and pigeons have taken a liking to roosting on top of the sculpture. Their droppings are only mildly invasive as are the droppings of the tourists and art lovers. No pencil was left behind in the making of this sketch.