A legal battle has blown up between two corporate art owners over the fate of a sculpture in the lobby of the Willis Tower in Chicago—formerly known as the Sears Tower. The dispute centres on whether the work, Alexander Calder’s large-scale, brightly-coloured 1974 piece Universe, can be bought back by its former owner Sears, Roebuck and Co—which no longer owns the premises—under a 1994 contract. The dispute came to a head in a lawsuit filed by 233 S. Wacker LLC, the owner of Willis Tower, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Sears wants to buy the sculpture, but not at the current market. S. Wacker says Sears’ option to buy has expired. Sears had until late October to appear in court.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Calder in Chicago’s tower in legal battle'