Artist Sues NRA for Using Chicago’s ‘Bean’ Sculpture in video

The artist behind Chicago’s famous bean-shaped sculpture has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the National Rifle Association of copyright infringement by using an image of his work in a video advertisement last year.

Anish Kapoor’s lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is seeking the removal of Cloud Gate’s image from the video and damages for copyright infringement, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Tourists are allowed to photograph the sculpture, but Kapoor said he owns the copyright to commercial images and didn’t give the NRA permission to use it.

The London-based artist first criticized the NRA’s use of the sculpture commonly as The Bean in a March statement issued alongside the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, according to a news release.

Kapoor said his sculpture has been “appropriated by the NRA to perpetuate its hateful ideology.” He criticized the group’s ad for playing into paranoia, conflict and violence.

Cloud Gate “is an inclusive work that engages public participation,” the artist said earlier this year in a statement issued by a New York gallery that represents him.

Kapoor said he’s received a lot of support from others who are also “appalled by the NRA’s divisive and hate-filled campaign against the democratic and humane values of the people of America.”

The NRA didn’t immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. The organization has previously said that “The Clenched Fist of Truth” video aims to prevent violence.

Topics Lawsuits Gun Liability