Anish Kapoor says China copies his work

LONDON - Reuters

A giant sculpture in the shape of an oil bubble under construction in Karamay. Anish Kapoor has expressed outrage about the sculpture, a copy of his. AP Photos.

British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor said on Aug. 12 he would take legal action based on copyright concerns after noting a close similarity between a huge stainless-steel, globe-like sculpture in China and his “Cloud Gate” sculpture in Chicago.

The sculpture in the far northwestern Chinese city of Karamay, whose sculptor has not been named, is said in a blog on the Wall Street Journal website to resemble an oil bubble, inspired by the rich oil fields of the region.
Kapoor’s sculpture, which is known in Chicago as “The Bean” and was erected in 2006, reflects the city’s skyscape and in photographs bears a strong resemblance to the Chinese work.

“It has been reported in the media today that an identical sculpture has been commissioned for the town of Karamay in the Xinjiang region of China,” Kapoor said in a statement released on his behalf by publicists in London.

“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. The Chinese authorities must act to stop this kind of infringement and allow the full enforcement of copyright.”

Kapoor’s Chicago work figured in the 2011 movie “Source Code” starring Jake Gyllenhaal.