Google links with artist Sanford Biggers to create a major outdoor sculpture for Loop headquarters
Sanford Biggers, the Los‑Angeles–based artist known for his interdisciplinary practice, has been commissioned to create a 30‑foot tall outdoor sculpture for Google’s Chicago Loop headquarters. Titled Vector, the work translates 19th‑century quilt patterns into a striking, angular form that will dominate the building’s renovated plaza.
The sculpture is built from glazed terra‑cotton panels, each hand‑made tile echoing the geometry, pattern and craftsmanship of historic quilts. Biggers consulted the quilt collections of the Illinois State Museum and the Chicago History Museum to ensure the motifs reflect the state’s cultural heritage.
Set on the site once occupied by Jean Dubuffet’s Monument with Standing Beast, Vector will join downtown Chicago’s celebrated public‑art corridor, alongside Picasso at Daley Plaza, Alexander Calder’s Flamingo in Federal Plaza, and Joan Miró’s The Sun, the Moon and One Star.
Biggers describes the quilt as a repository of American culture, even hinting at its rumored use as a coded signal on the Underground Railroad. By bringing that legacy into a contemporary, monumental form, he adds a vital Black artistic voice to a space traditionally dominated by European modernists.
The commission coincides with a $280 million renovation of the former James R. Thompson Center, which includes a restored atrium, terraced seating and the preservation of original design elements, signaling a broader commitment to craftsmanship and public art.