At once monumental and inviting, Cloud Gate is one of Chicago’s most popular attractions. The artwork invites public participation and beckons the passer-by to step inside.

As its sculptor, Anish Kapoor, explains, ‘the work itself has a complete circle of meaning and counterpoint. Without your involvement as a viewer, there is no story.’ Kapoor named this colossal sculpture ‘Cloud Gate’ for a simple reason — 80 percent of its surface reflects the sky. Despite having Cloud Gate as its official name, however, Chicagoans have affectionately nicknamed the sculpture ‘The Bean.’

Made of 100 tons of polished stainless steel, Cloud Gate appears to float over the AT&T Plaza with an extraordinary sense of lightness. Its underside presents an omphalos (Greek for ‘navel’), a concave chamber which offers viewers distorted perspectives of themselves.

For more about artworks in Chicago’s parks, click here.

For more about the Millennium Park, click here.

For more about Chicago Public Library, click here.

For more about the Lookingglass Theatre, click here.