China 'Bubble' A Copycat Of Chicago's 'Bean'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago has "The Bean"
China now has "The Big Oil Bubble."
It looks like an ugly knockoff of sculptor Anish Kapoor's delightful, gleaming "Cloud Gate," which has drawn throngs of visitors to Millennium Park since 2004.
The "People's Daily" in China tweeted an image of "The Bubble."
Sculpture in shape of oil bubble is built at site of 1st oil well in Karamay, #Xinjiang http://t.co/AqbugmJr7o pic.twitter.com/jl0cATljTA
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 11, 2015
Underneath, visitors are treated to a light show.
According to the publication, the sculpture is located at the site of the first oil well in the northern Chinese town of Karamay.
The name Karamay, means "black oil" and is named after the oil producing areas around the city.
In a statement published in the Daily Telegraph, Kapoor said: "It seems that in China today it is permissible to steal the creativity of others. I feel I must take this to the highest level and pursue those responsible in the courts. I hope that the Mayor of Chicago will join me in this action."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was asked about the Chinese bean at a news conference on Wednesday.
He said "imitation is the greatest form of flattery" and would not say whether he would support the artist. He added that if people wanted to see "original artwork," that they should come to Chicago.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ma Jun, of the Karamay tourism bureau, said similarities between the two are a coincidence.
The Chinese sculpture "looks like an oil bubble," while Chicago's "has a bean shape."