About 250 people gathered on Sunday in Chicago’s Millennium Park with an unusual task – to move the famous sculpture “Cloud Gate,” known to locals as The Bean, seven inches to the left. The group pushed against the artwork and chanted “Push The Bean,” but the 110-ton structure did not move. Local media described the turnout as hundreds of participants.
The idea originated with a social media post and posters put up around the city center. They stated that the first attempt should begin at 12:47 p.m. on November 8. The reason was part of the same joke – the claim that a person was trapped inside the sculpture and could be freed if The Bean were moved slightly to the left.
The event invitation mentioned a supposed door beneath the right side of the structure. According to the tongue-in-cheek explanation, moving it would provide access to the door so that “pickles and other resources” could be delivered to the person. There is no evidence that anyone is inside the sculpture, and the claim is part of internet folklore.
A joke that brought strangers together
Saniaya Whaley, a freshman at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said she saw the post on Instagram the evening before the event. “It gave me something to do, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have left my dorm,” she said.
Whaley added that people knew the sculpture was unlikely to move, but the gathering gave them an opportunity to meet one another. In her words, such initiatives create a sense of community and bring joy, even when the occasion is an attempt to move The Bean.
Another participant answered, “Why not?” when asked why he had come. According to WBBM radio, people laughed, applauded and pushed against the sculpture, while participants arrived even from California.
How the legend of the “person in The Bean” began
“Cloud Gate” was created by British artist Anish Kapoor. Made between 2004 and 2006, it is a central feature of Granger Square in Millennium Park. Its mirrored stainless-steel surface reflects and distorts the silhouettes of Chicago, the sky and visitors.
Jokes about a person trapped in the sculpture spread widely in 2025. At the time, city councilman Brendan Reilly said: “I can confidently confirm that no person has been trapped in “Cloud Gate” over the past 21 years.” A satirical video titled “The Person in The Bean” was later published based on the same premise.
Sunday’s attempt did not change the artwork’s position, but it turned an internet joke into a real city gathering.