Chicago Picasso, Daley Plaza

Because Picasso didn't give it a name, we don't really know what to call this monumental statue that's been in Daley Plaza since 1967. Some call it the Chicago Picasso, others simply the Picasso. Either way, the identity of its creator is clear: it's Picasso himself, standing out in the open air, a monumental work embedded in the depths of Chicago's skyscrapers: 15 meters high, 162 tons.

It's one of the first works of public art, or street art, that Chicago has installed in its downtown area. The first in a long series (The Cloud Gate, The Crown Fountain, to name the most popular), the principle is always the same: visitors are invited to interfere with the work, to touch it, to make it their own.

Make it your own? That doesn't seem to be a problem for the dozens of little ones who have turned it into a fantastic playground. They never tire of climbing it, hanging from it, and sliding down it like on a toboggan.

A fun family game: guess what animal(s) are hiding in this amazing sculpture: a dog? A monkey? A bird? Or perhaps a woman, who some believe posed for Picasso a few years ago? The artist himself has never explained the meaning of his work.

At the foot of the statue, Daley Plaza comes alive in the summer when musicians take over the square and local farmers come to sell their fruits and vegetables (Farmer's Market).

• 50 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602