Anish Kapoor protests NRA's use of Cloud Gate in ad

In March 2018, artist Anish Kapoor wrote an open letter opposing the National Rifle Association's reproduction of his sculpture Cloud Gate in a promotional video. Kapoor argued that the NRA's video incites fear and hatred against difference, calling for arms against an imaginary enemy, and that the reproduction suggests the artwork is an alien object among people. He emphasized that Cloud Gate is a democratic object situated in a free, open public space. The artist's primary grievance appears to be the ideological and political misappropriation of his work, which he sees as a violation of his personal and moral identity rights rather than a mere copyright infringement. The article, written by lawyer Raffaella Pellegrino, also discusses the broader legal context of reproducing artworks in public spaces without consent, citing examples such as the unauthorized use of Palermo's Teatro Massimo in a bank advertisement and Fendi's dispute with Roma Pride over the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. In the US, street artist REVOCK (Jason Williams) sued H&M for featuring his mural in a commercial without permission.