New Public Art Coming to Millennium Park for 20th Anniversary Season

New Public Art Coming to Millennium Park for 20th Anniversary Season

CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Millennium Park Foundation announced new temporary public art installations coming to Millennium Park during its milestone 20th Anniversary season, including physical works by one of the world’s most recognized sculptors, Franz West, and innovative augmented reality works by Chicago-based artists Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón. The augmented reality works are on view throughout Millennium Park now through November 2025. West’s sculptures will be on view in the South Boeing Gallery starting the week of July 22nd through November 2025.

Millennium Park is a world leader of art and architecture in a public, outdoor, urban setting—home to two of Chicago’s most iconic artworks: Cloud Gate a.k.a. “The Bean” by Anish Kapoor, which reopened to the public on June 23, and Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa.

Located on both the north and south ends of Millennium Park, the Boeing Galleries house temporary modern and contemporary art exhibitions where visitors can directly experience the work and expressions of current artists. In the 20 years since the Park’s opening, the Boeing Galleries have featured artworks by Chakaia Booker, Yvonne Domenge, Jun Kaneko, Edra Soto, and Christine Tarkowski, among others. The cost of exhibition curation and management is underwritten by Millennium Park Foundation using funds from private donors.

“Millions of people visit Millennium Park every year to enjoy our free cultural events and interact with our world-famous art and architecture—including Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Since the Park opened 20 years ago, a variety of special exhibitions have also been a major draw. On behalf of the entire City, we thank these artists for sharing their talents with us, the Millennium Park Foundation, and the many Chicagoans and visitors who will visit the Park this summer and beyond.”

“Since Millennium Park opened 20 years ago, the Park has been a unique showcase for Chicago’s flourishing public art scene, attracting visitors from across the globe to see works that celebrate the soul of Chicago and its people,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “Art can inspire, challenge and bring joy, and these new temporary installations, including for the first time works viewed via augmented reality, will give everyone visiting Millennium Park this summer an unforgettable experience.”

Viewers of the augmented reality works will need to use the free Hoverlay app, available in the Apple AppStore or Google PlayStore, as well as an augmented reality-capable device running iOS 14 or later or Android 8.0 or later.

For information about Millennium Park exhibitions, art and architecture, the 20th Anniversary Celebration and more, visit millenniumpark.org.

Exhibition support to the Millennium Park Foundation is made possible by the Boeing and Richard Driehaus Endowment and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The new installations are:

Franz West: Millennium Park (on view starting the week of July 22nd)

Franz West: Millennium Park features three monumental installations by West: Stonehenge (2011), Kugeln (Balls) (2002), and Dorit (2002), set against the iconic backdrop of Millennium Park.

More information about West at archivfranzwest.org.

Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities (on view now through November 2025)

Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities showcases the innovative works of four internationally celebrated Chicago-based artists, Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón, pioneering the use of Augmented Reality (AR) for the first time in the vibrant setting of Millennium Park. This exhibition invites visitors to experience a groundbreaking fusion of technology and artistry, transforming the Park's landscape into a dynamic canvas of digital creativity. By highlighting AR as a new tool and medium in the world of public art, these artists explore new dimensions of interaction, engagement, and expression, offering a fresh perspective on the urban environment.

Carlos Rolón

Ni Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), 2024

More information about Rolón at carlosrolon.com.

Yvette Mayorga

The Lovers Dance, 2024

More information about Mayorga can be found at yvettemayorga.com.

Claire Ashley with audioscape by Joshua Patterson

N O M A D I C F L U O R A T I C P H Y L O S I A N S P A W N, 2024

More information about Ashley at clairehelenashley.com.

Faheem Majeed

Freedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon, 2024

More information at faheemmajeed.com