Nude gold Trump statue goes on show at European Parliament
A naked, gold-coated statue of US President Donald Trump has gone on show at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
The 2.6-metre work, titled The Orange Plague, was unveiled on 7 October by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. It shows a nude Trump figure perched on the shoulders of a much smaller, frail man.
The Trump figure is covered in 23-carat gold leaf, according to The Art Newspaper. He holds a tiny pair of scales of justice in one hand and a golf club in the other. The smaller man is cast in bronze, with a globe about the size of a golf ball at his feet.
The plinth carries a caption written in the voice of the rider: "I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my burden. I will do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back."
The sculpture is the centrepiece of a three-day exhibition hosted by Per Clausen, a Danish Member of the European Parliament. It stands at a crossing point that links two of the Parliament's buildings in Strasbourg. It is due to stay on display until Thursday, DW reported.
Visitors do not leave empty-handed. Everyone who comes to the exhibition is offered a small 3D-printed copy — a miniature made layer by layer by a printing machine — to take home. Galschiøt printed about 20,000 of the miniatures for visitors and staff, and he has made the design files freely available online so members of the public can print their own.
On his website, Galschiøt links the idea to The Emperor's New Clothes, the Hans Christian Andersen tale about a vain ruler who parades naked, according to the artist's site. The site says the work has previously travelled to public meetings, Greenland demonstrations and security conferences since COP30 in Brazil.
What makes this stand out is the take-home part. Most parliamentary displays stay put. This one is designed to travel in pockets, bags and home printers.
