Alexander Calder’s Flamingo

A massive steel archway painted a striking red was unveiled as a new work of public art in Chicago on a cool autumn day in 1974. In Chicago's Federal Plaza, Alexander Calder's Flamingo made its official debut and has since become an iconic structure. The day after the sculpture was unveiled on October 25, 1974, it was declared "Alexander Calder Day," and a circus parade was held to honor the artist's significant contributions to the community and the larger field of art.

Although you might not notice it immediately as a flamingo, every Chicagoan is familiar with the long and graceful arcs of the famous red Flamingo sculpture designed by Alexander Calder. Calder is a seminal Modernist multi-media artist perhaps best known for his many whimsical mobile creations.

Weighing in at 50 tons and made of steel, the sculpture feels anything but heavy in the space it occupies. Its arches and voids invite passerby to walk beneath and through the art on their way to surrounding office buildings in the plaza — including the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed Kluczynski Federal Building.

The sculpture was created especially for this location to soften and balance the harsh Modernist lines of the Federal Building. The festivity, spirit and joy of this sculpture and its history are apparent to all that visit it on display in Chicago, adding yet another meaningful and momentous sculpture to the city’s iconic and artful culture.

• Founded: 1974
• Designer: Alexander Calder
  
• Google rating: 4.7/5.0
  
• Address: 210 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60604