THE BEAN TAKES ON THE BIG APPLE
09 Mar 2023
Anish Kapoor’s amorphous and reflective sculpture known as ‘The Bean’ has sprouted up in New York City.
Squeezed into the infrastructure of 56 Leonard Street in New York, The Bean is the next installation in Kapoor’s bean-shaped public artworks. Similar in design to the original Bean in Chicago, the sculpture features 38 stainless steel panels welded together to create a curved, reflective façade sculpture that measures 48 feet long and 19 feet tall and weighing a total of 40 tons. 
The installation of The Bean took much longer than expected and underwent some complications. Installation began in 2019 and was halted due to the pandemic. When the installation resumed in September 2021, the façade was damaged due to heat differences from the location of The Bean. As it is ‘squished’ under the building, some of the sculpture is shaded from the sun and in other areas is directly in the sun throughout the day.
In its finished form, The Bean allows viewers to pause, explore and reflect on the distorted cityscape through the reflective lens. Due to its concave surface, the surrounding environment is warped and encourages passerbyers to explore the everchanging perspective of the city through the reflective façade of The Bean. By day, The Bean is a beacon of light and shines brightly through the streets of New York. While by night, The Bean is illuminated by the city lights. 
Images via designboom
