The Bean

I wasn't even familiar with "The Bean" until KT told me about it in the days leading up to our Memorial Day Chicago trip. I'm so glad she suggested it as a destination, it's pretty impressive. The sculpture is officially titled "Cloud Gate" and is the work of British artist Anish Kapoor. Dedicated in May 2006, the Bean can be found in Millennium Park and is one of the most photographed attractions in the city. You gotta check it out next time you are in Chicago.

From wikipedia: "The sculpture is shaped like an ellipse, and its legume-like appearance has caused it to be nicknamed “The Bean”. It is made of 168 highly polished stainless steel plates, and stands at 33 feet high, 66 feet long, and 42 feet wide, weighing 110 tons. From a distance it could be mistaken for a huge drop of mercury, while up close its highly reflective surface captures and transforms the skyline, the downtown cityscape and even the passers-by into a wonderfully warped new vista. The artist, Anish Kapoor, has referred to the sculpture as “a gate to Chicago, a poetic idea about the city it reflects.” The 12-foot underbelly is called the "omphalos" or navel and multiplies reflections in a vortex.