Chicago's Number 1 Landmark: The Bean!
Mornings Offer a dramatic but amazing sight before the Bean, one of the best places in Illinois. The sun rises over the sky, its shine reflects stunningly on its plane. each day is so special that no two morning photos will be identical. That six am walk over the park is worth it. One can go under it and will see oneself in another dimension. A drone shot over it is, as much breathtakingly beautiful any time of the day. you won’t be sorry with its view at night as well. Lights would reflect orange on the surface of the Bean, making someone simply stare at it. One can also touch its steel, thus leaving prints. Going under it gives the feeling of being in other part if the world. Its shape blends in the color, its image asymmetrical to the original form. It encourages its visitors to have their different perspective. Walking around it changes the sight of the object.
Cloud gate as artist Anish Kapoor calls his masterpiece within Millennium Park; Chicago stands more than 10 meters from the ground. Its width and length are 13 meters and 20 meters respectively. Installed 12 years ago, the “Bean” as the people calls this structure, features 168 stainless steel plate seamlessly welded with each other.
Some of its parts were fabricated in California. Inside it are trusses that support the sheets together. The first to build was its navel part or also known as its omphalos. It can be seen at its bottom part that makes its shape. Costing 23 million USD that weighs 110 tons is the breakthrough distinction of Chicagoans. Visitors, travelers and photographers would walk under its 12 foot high arc that couldn’t resist having a selfie. There are couples and wedding entourage would drop by the Bean and sets it as backdrop for their photos. Its topmost portion mirrors most buildings around the park, making it best for drone photo shoots. It was chosen between the two entries in a design competition for community art display in Chicago, cutting precision was done to have the materials formed together flawlessly, converging into this giant form of bean. It was enthused by a drop of mercury thus forming its remarkable shape, making it well known to travelers and tourist of Illinois.
Renowned public artist Anish Kapoor was born in Bombay and studied in London. He started working in London in 1970. This year old, silver haired British won awards and acknowledged all over the world for his exemplary designs.
Japanese distinguished his ability to make notable designs by receiving Praemium Imperiale prize for sculpture in 2011. It was custom built for the 2012 Olympic Games held in London. It sits in Olympic Park to provide watching deck of the tower. It was opened to the public that coincide the sporting event. Cloud Gate put him on mark in the United States with the significant success of his installation art that reflects and alters its surrounding. Sky Mirror was also made by him with same concept and Cloud Gate’s material. It is installed in Rockefeller Center in New York. Most of his works reveals replicate of the person looking at it. He would use concave and convex shapes inviting the observer encourage their imaginations. The idea of this outstanding masterpiece was to connect the ground to the sky, thus making it reflects the skyscrapers around it, so does the sky. Anish named it as Cloud Gate to have that connection as it is shaped like a bean; people started calling it “The Bean.”
Two cleaners meticulously pour in water all over the Bean, washing over the metal for any dust, dirt and other elements that hinders it from shining over the horizon using a pressurized water hose that reaches over the top. They use squeegees to remove droplets and flowing water on the surface. A wipe of special kind of cloth finishes the process of this daily cleaning. During the months of March and December, a team would set up scaffolding all over the figure. This team sets up their cleaning gear an hour before midnight while there is less passer-by to touch it. This team applies special chemical to reach its polished mirror façade. Talking about cleaning and using special chemical, if you’re planning to move to Chicago or now living in this city, might as well consider the company Always Green Cleaning Services Chicago to be your cleaning partner especially when you’re all about going green.
Chicago proposes futuristic setting that is very essential in movies like Transformers. One of its franchises, Age of Extinction, is among the several movies that filmed here. The people running away from, what looks like an alien ship, is just so entertaining to see that can also be seen on the mirror finished edifice. Another great movie that made use of this landmark is the Source Code shot in 2011. Jake Gyllenhaal was a pilot that was part of a military operation who can travel back to time. At the end of the film, he walked with Michelle Monaghan and talked about fate. The Bean can also be seen in The Vow of Channing Tatum with Rachel Adams. It was so romantic that one will fall in love with the place. The Bean delivers what the movie expects and it serves as a focal point for the viewers. These were just some movies that showed this extraordinary installation art in Millennium Park.
In 2017, Anish Kapoor was recognized by the Grand Park Music Festival that made him back after nearly 15 years from the time the Bean was built. He was overwhelmed and emotional of what it has achieved. He was astounded by the number of people who snaps photo before it. Its concept of interactive optic made him to make more of its kind.
The Bean achieves its maker's goal to encourage tourists and travelers to interact with it. Either a selfie or a photo shoot, it doesn’t fail to awe expectorates, dubbing it as a public object with a public life. It is now one of the top destinations in the mid west which will always be part of every Chicagoans.
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