No one is trapped inside Chicago Bean, councillor insists

Telegraph

7 days ago

A city councillor has confirmed there is not a man trapped inside the 'Chicago Bean'.
Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the rumour about the city's sculpture meant his office had been inundated with calls from concerned citizens.
Earlier this month, a small group of protesters gathered at the stainless steel artwork, chanting: 'There is a man in the Bean' and 'What do we want? The man to get out.'
They handed out leaflets claiming the man's existence had been kept secret from Chicago residents for more than two decades, and brandished signs calling for officials to 'unlock Cloud Gate', as the art installation is formally known.
When asked by local news why they believed a man was trapped in the Bean, a member of the group claimed they could see a 'faint outline of a man' when 'the light hits just right and you're looking from the perfect angle'.
An Instagram account dedicated to pushing the hoax had gained some 35,000 followers as of Wednesday.
Mr Reilly, whose ward is home to the Bean – created in the mid-2000s by the Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor – said the rumours had become a distraction from his work as a councillor.
'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (aka 'the Bean') for the past 21 years,' he said.
Mr Reilly continued: 'I appreciate light-hearted parody as much as the next guy, and I've always welcomed public engagement.
'However, this online hoax has led to a heavy uptick in calls to my office.
'Unfortunately, answering the heavy volume of calls regarding this hoax is ultimately a distraction for my office from the real work we do for the 42nd Ward and City of Chicago each day.'
At least one leaflet by The Man in Bean Coalition, which is pushing the rumour, urges people to call Mr Reilly to demand he immediately take action to free the man, and includes his office's phone number.
The group, which has been approached for comment by The Telegraph, claimed in statements to media outlets that its position was being misrepresented by 'Big Bean Media'.
The group claims that Mr Kapoor 'stole a baby and put that baby inside of The Bean' when he created it, according to its literature.
'Our cohort of believers theorise that Kapoor built the Bean to be a one-way mirror. So that when we look at the Bean, we see our reflection… But the man inside the Bean looks out to see us all,' the group said.
Mr Kapoor has been approached for comment via his studio.