DOWNTOWN — A famous French sculpture outside the Thompson Center is moving to a new home. But don’t worry, it’s not going far.
“Monument with Standing Beast,” also known as “Snoopy in a Blender,” is headed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. The sculpture is being moved as the Thompson Center is restructured for new Google offices, said Megan Michienzi, executive director of public affairs for the Art Institute.
Unveiled at the Thompson Center in 1984, the sculpture created by artist Jean Dubuffet encompasses four elements that “suggest a standing animal, a tree, portal and an architectural form.”
The fiberglass sculpture is 29 feet high and weighs more than 10 tons, according to WTTW. It will undergo necessary conservation before it takes its place outside the Art Institute grounds, a spokesperson said. The piece will then be on long-term loan to the Art Institute from the Illinois State Museum.
“Our main priority is keeping the sculpture in Downtown Chicago, allowing it to be viewed by as many people as possible, while also being appropriately maintained for years to come,” Michienzi said in a statement.
The date of the move has not yet been released.
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