British artist Anish Kapoor's iconic sculpture *Cloud Gate* (2006), known as "the Bean," in Chicago's Millennium Park became the site of a controversial photo op on Monday, when dozens of U.S. Border Patrol agents, led by chief Gregory Bovino, gathered in front of the 110-ton piece just after dawn. The agents, armed and in fatigues, reportedly shouted "Little Village"—a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood where Border Patrol had deployed tear gas in a raid over the weekend—instead of "cheese" for the photo. Local officials, including Chicago governor J.B. Pritzker and alderman Mike Rodriguez, condemned the action, and Kapoor himself expressed horror, likening the agents to "SS Nazi troops" and calling the incident a "fascist battle cry of intimidation." Chicago artist Michael Rakowitz also denounced the shoot as a "horrible invasion and occupation."
This incident matters because it highlights the intersection of public art and political protest, showing how iconic artworks can become stages for contentious national debates. Kapoor, who has previously pursued copyright infringement lawsuits over unauthorized use of his work, now faces a situation where his sculpture is used as a backdrop for a federal agency's controversial enforcement actions. The event underscores tensions around immigration enforcement in Chicago, where federal agents have conducted aggressive raids, and it raises questions about the role of public art in civic and political discourse, as well as the limits of an artist's control over their work in public space.